AURORA, Colo. (AP) — A judge has denied a new trial for a man on Colorado's death row, saying claims of an incompetent legal team and a tainted jury are unfounded.
The Aurora Sentinel reports Arapahoe County District Judge Christopher Munch ruled against Sir Mario Owens on Monday, allowing the trial verdict and death sentence to stand.
Owens was convicted in two different murder cases in Aurora — the shooting death of Gregory Vann in 2004 and the deaths of a witness to that shooting, Javad Marshall-Fields, and his fiancee, Vivian Wolfe, in 2005.
Owens' appellate lawyers argued a juror failed to disclose that she had ties to several people involved in the case.
Prosecutors said the defense's efforts centered on previously litigated claims that don't present new evidence.
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Information from: The Aurora Sentinel, http://www.aurorasentinel.com/