Denver civil rights attorney to defend man accused of killing prison officer in death penalty case

By | kmitchell@denverpost.com | The Denver Post

A Denver civil rights attorney who has handled several death penalty cases across the country has been appointed to defend a man who faces the death penalty for allegedly fatally slashing a Colorado corrections officer in 2012.

David Lane will represent Miguel Alonso Contreras-Perez, who fired his public defenders.

Contreras-Perez had been representing himself against charges that he killed Sgt. Mary Ricard on Sept. 24, 2012. Perez allegedly also stabbed Sgt. Lori Gann the same day.

Lane was appointed by 16th Judicial District Judge Michael Schiferl. On Tuesday, Lane requested a 60-day continuance of Contreras-Peres’ arraignment.

“The death penalty is a human rights violation,” Lane said. “When I see the government trying to violate a person’s human rights I will do everything I can to stop it.”

Contreras-Perez is an Army deserter who was sentenced in 2004 to 35 years to life in prison after he raped a 14-year-old girl he kidnapped in Colorado Springs.

According to Contreras-Perez, the attacks on the correctional officers were spurred by a jealous rage. He was upset because he believed Gann was having a sexual relationship with another inmate and a staff member.

Previously Lane represented Edward Montour in his second murder trial. Montour had pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the beating death of corrections officer Eric Autobee in 2003 and was sentenced to death by a judge. Montour spent four years on death row before his sentence was overturned in 2007 by the Colorado Supreme Court, which said only a jury could impose the death sentence. Montour later pleaded guilty to the murder in a plea agreement with 18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler, who took the death penalty off the table.

 

Source  denverpost

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