DENVER — A growing group of advocates, lawmakers, and victims is demanding immediate changes to Colorado's competency law.
The Colorado Parent Advocacy Network, a nonprofit, announced it has garnered nearly 6,000 signatures from individuals calling on district attorneys across the state to increase pressure on Governor Jared Polis and call a special legislative session. The signatures are expected to be delivered to the Colorado District Attorney's Council.
The outrage comes after state law changed last summer, requiring judges to dismiss cases against criminal defendants who are found incompetent to stand trial and who will likely never be restored to competency.
Since then, several people accused of crimes, including attempted kidnapping and attempted murder, have been released back into the public.
“We were told... that these individuals that committed these horrendous crimes would either be in a correctional facility or that they would be committed to an institution," State Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer (R) said during a press conference Thursday. "Unfortunately, that is not what's going on with this law."
Read our previous coverage below:
- Change to Colorado mental health law sparks issues with 2022 stabbing case in Lakewood
- Complexity of Competency: How state doctor decided a man is unfit to stand trial after fatal crash
- JeffCo judge drops charges against man accused of killing two women in 2021 drunk driving crash
- Charges officially dropped against attempted kidnapping suspect after competency finding
- Mental health competency in Colorado: Arapahoe Co. DA speaks with Denver7 after blowback over dropped charges
- Weld County sheriff says he was forced to release 'dangerous' man due to state's competency laws
- Congressional Republicans push Polis for second special session to address Colorado's competency law
Kirkmeyer, who is running for Colorado governor, voted in favor of House Bill 24-1034, which amended the language in the state's competency law.
“I don't think anybody foresaw how this law was going to be interpreted and how it was going to be implemented," Kirkmeyer said when Denver7 Investigates asked if she had concerns about the space available at mental health facilities while the bill was being passed.
Victims who have voiced their frustrations to Denver7 Investigates attended Thursday's press conference.
"I am cautiously optimistic. I'm glad that there's more momentum on it. I'm afraid every day of more cases popping up," said Joseph Bowman, whose mother was one of two people killed in a car crash investigators say was caused by a drunk driver.
The suspect in the crash that killed Bowman's mother had a lengthy criminal record. Eventually, all charges were dismissed, including multiple counts of vehicular homicide, after he was found incompetent to stand trial.
Still, Bowman does not believe a special session is necessary to address the current law.
"I'm hopeful that this will come about in the upcoming legislative session," he said
Senator Judy Amabile (D), who was a main sponsor of HB24-1034, agrees.
"I am not convinced that we need that, but I understand why people are asking for that," said Amabile.
Amabile previously told Denver7 Investigates that she is working on amendments to the law.
"We have a commitment from the executive branch that we are going to put some resources into beds, into funding beds, both mental health beds and beds for the people with intellectual disabilities or neurocognitive disorders," she said.
At the time HB24-1034 passed, no additional funding was allocated to resources.
When asked about the nearly 6,000 signatures collected by CPAN, Sen. Amabile said, "I think they are sending us a message loud and clear: fix this broken system."
