Herald
Englewood 6-7-13
Englewood
June 7, 2013
75 cents
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourenglewoodnews.com
Arapahoe County, Colorado • Volume 93, Issue 16
Driver in officer’s death gets 10 years Man was 20 when he hit two on Broadway By Tom Munds
tmunds@ourcoloradonews.com After reading volumes of material and listening to hours of testimony, Judge Marilyn Antrim sentenced Conner Donohue to up to 10 years in prison for the night he drove drunk, hit and killed an Englewood police officer, and drove away. Donohue was sentenced May 31 in Arapahoe District Court. On May 28, 2012, he was at the wheel of his truck when, according to testimony, he sideswiped a police car on South Broadway and hit Officer
Jeremy Bitner and Littleton resident Kevin Montoya. Bitner suffered fatal head injuries and Montoya was seriously injured. Donohue was arrested a short distance away, and his blood alcohol level, taken more than an hour after the crash, was more than three times the legal limit. In February, Donohue Donohue entered a guilty plea to four felony counts in the case. At the sentencing hearing, the courtroom was full, as was an adjacent courtroom where the court proceedings could be watched on a large screen. Donohue’s friends and family filled
about half the seats in the courtroom. Eight of his friends or family members spoke and asked he not be sent to prison but be allowed to speak to students and groups of young people about what can happen if you drive while intoxicated. Donohue testified in his own behalf, apologizing to the community, the Bitner family and the Englewood Police Department. He said he hurt many people and deserved to die and asked that the sentence he deserved be handed down. Family, co-workers and friends of Bitner, who was posthumously promoted to detective, filled the other half of the courtroom. Several family members, including Bitner’s wife Tina, spoke at the hearing, as did several members of the Englewood Police Department. They all asked that Donohue re-
ceive a lengthy prison term. In her testimony, Tina Bitner said both families are grieving because of what happened but, no matter the sentence, Donohue would have a second chance, while her husband was killed and won’t have a second chance. “Grief constantly is like an unwanted guest in our home,” she said. She pleaded for justice. There was a PowerPoint presentation of evidence in the case, including the fact that Donohue had a blood alcohol level of .252 percent when he was tested. It was also noted that Donohue was 20 years old at the time and wasn’t supposed to be drinking. George Brauchler, district attorney for Driver continues on Page 6
Passel of pot bills signed by governor
strong determination
Regulations, tax measure linked to legalization vote By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com
Englewood High School football player Andrew Montoya grimmaces as he does the giant tire flip during the June 1 Hog Relays. The Pirates finished second in the series of physical challenges for linemen. Turn to Page 21 for more coverage. Photo by Tom Munds
Dog hit by light-rail train recovering Animal’s leg amputated by Englewood veterinarian By Tom Munds
tmunds@ourcoloradonews.com
Jessie, a border collie, is recovering under the care of an Englewood veterinarian after being hit by a light-rail train. The incident resulted in the amputation of one of the dog’s legs. Courtesy photo
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Jessie the 6-month-old border collie is recovering nicely from surgery to remove a leg that was badly damaged when she was hit by a light-rail train. The dog has been under the care of Brian Van Vechpen, a veterinary surgeon at the Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado, a specialty and emergency veterinary hospital at 3550 S. Jason St. in Englewood. “I saw Jessie earlier today and she is doing fine,” the veterinarian said May 30. “We want to keep her activity down right now so the incision heals completely. But she is already walking and moving well. Pretty soon, she’ll be fully recovered so she can chase and catch a ball.” The week of May 13, Jessie’s owner was out of town. The dog ran away near Dartmouth and Broadway when a dog sitter let her off her leash because the leash was tangled in some vines. The dog’s owner, Henry, who declined to give his last name, said in an interview he had only owned Jessie for two months but already loved her. Jessie was being cared for by a friend when she ran off. The owner tried to find her, and she was found by an Dog continues on Page 7
Gov. John Hickenlooper on May 28 signed several pieces of marijuana-related legislation into law, including those having to do with the regulation and proposed taxation of retail pot sales, which will soon become legal under Amendment 64. The governor said at a Capitol bill-signing event that Colorado is “chartering new territory” when it comes to putting in place a regulatory model on a newly created industry that voters approved in November. “The voters passed Amendment 64 by a clear majority,” said Hickenlooper, who opposed last fall’s ballot measure, which legalized recreational marijuana use and retail pot sales in the state. “That’s why we’re going to implement it as effectively as we possibly can.” Among the bills signed by the governor was House Bill 1317, which puts in place the regulatory framework retail pot shops must obey, when they are allowed to begin operations on Jan. 1. In-state residents who are 21 and older will be able to purchase up to an ounce of marijuana at retail stores, per transaction, while out-of-state visitors are limited to a quarter of an ounce. Colorado residents can also grow their own pot and possess up to six marijuana plants. Existing medical marijuana dispensaries will have a nine-month head start on other businesses looking to enter into the retail pot arena. Pot shops — which will not be able to sell food or drinks that do not contain marijuana — must sell the drug in child-resistant packages that denote potency. The state Department of Revenue will regulate the retail pot industry. “When you are in uncharted territory, you need a North Star,” said Rep. Dan Pabon, D-Denver, a House Bill 1317 sponsor. “And the North Star we used was public safety and making sure we kept marijuana out of the hands of kids, cartels and criminals.” The regulatory bill is also aimed at trying to appease the federal government, which has yet to respond to the pot legislation in Colorado. Marijuana use and sales are illegal under federal law. Hickenlooper said he expects the feds
Pot continues on Page 7