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December 19, 2014 VOLU M E 1 3 | I SS UE 7
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ParkerChronicle.net D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
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Charges dropped against woman DA’s office: No evidence Donna Gregory was part of burglary By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz @coloradocommunitymedia.com All charges were dropped against a woman arrested in connection with the burglary of her grandparents’ Parker home. The 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office asked Douglas County Court Judge Susanna Meissner-Cutler to dismiss the case against Donna Gregory, 18, after investigators did not find enough evidence to ensure “success at trial,” said Brian Eckhardt, deputy district attorney. Kathy Maguire, Gregory’s public defender, slammed the investigation during a Dec. 11 hearing at the Douglas County Justice Center in Castle Rock. She said the charges were the result of statements by one Gregory suspect, Timothy Jayne, an ex-boyfriend who said Gregory took part in the alleged crime. “There actually was zero evidence that she had contact with Mr. Jayne,” Maguire said. “This investigation was tainted.” Sgt. Ron Hanavan, public information officer for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, said detectives took the correct action. “We completed a thorough investigation and based on the totality of the information gathered throughout the investigation, and probable cause, the appropriate judicial process was followed,” Hanavan said. Criminal cases against the three men
An entry in the Parker Christmas Carriage Parade makes its way down Mainstreet.
Families lined the streets of downtown Parker to get an up-close view of the entries in the town’s annual Christmas Carriage Parade Dec. 13. Jingling bells dangled from the harnesses of horses big and small. Some equines even donned Santa hats as a prelude to Saint Nick’s end-of-the-parade appearance.
Gregory continues on Page 10
PHOTOS BY CHRIS MICHLEWICZ
Justices hear voucher debate Sam High, 4, of Parker, feeds a hungry goat at a petting zoo at the parade.
Court could take up to nine months for decision By Jane Reuter
jreuter @coloradocommunitymedia.com Colorado Supreme Court justices asked pointed questions about the potential impact of voucher programs on public schools, among other issues, during the long-awaited oral arguments surrounding the Douglas County School District’s choice scholarship program. The court could take up to nine months to issue its decision, though it has ruled in as little as a month on some cases. The ruling will apply to all other courts in the state. The chambers were packed Dec. 10, with requests for seats exceeding the room’s 195-seat capacity. The demand prompted the court to livestream the proceedings. Among those with a front-row seat for the arguments were John Carson, who was president of the DCSD board when
Complete with teddy bear cargo, a miniature horse totes a tiny carriage down Mainstreet.
An ice sculptor sprays snow as families look on.
Voucher continues on Page 10