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News
Colorado’s Death Row
William "Cody" Neal was sentenced to death on September 29, 1999 in Jefferson County for killing three women at a townhouse he shared with one of the victims. Mr. Neal initially was represented by public defenders, but he fired them, pled guilty to all charges and represented himself in his sentencing hearing. He now is challenging his conviction and sentence in the first case under Colorado's new unitary appellate and postconviction procedures. He is represented by Jeff Pagliuca, Michael Heher and Karen Chaney. (From CADP Spring 2000 Newsletter)
Related Stories
- About Broken Links
- William Neal Deserves Death, Judges Rule
- Prosecutor Guilty of Misconduct
A Colorado Supreme Court disciplinary judge ruled last month that Jefferson County prosecutor Mark C. Pautler was guilty of professional misconduct when he pretended to be a public defender to persuade rapist and triple murderer William "Cody" Neal to surrender. "Prosecutors, who are enforcers of law, have higher ethical duties than other lawyers because they are ministers of justice, not just advocates," wrote Roger L. Keithley, presiding disciplinary judge, in his order for a summary judgment July 5. (8/12/00, Rocky Mountain News)
- Lying Prosecutor Eroded Legal System's Credibility
The man lied. He greatly abused his position of public trust and now wants us to applaud him. Yet he's done more damage than he, or his bosses -- who applaud him, too -- know. How dare they? Jefferson County prosecutor William Pautler was wrong. And he should be severely punished. ... The irony is Pautler's actions form the basis of Neal's death sentence appeal. What he did, his attorneys now say, irreparably tainted Neal's dealings with his true lawyer. (3/14/01, Rocky Mountain News. News commentary by Bill Johnson.)
- Prosecutor Gets Probation
A prosecutor acted dishonestly when he posed as a public defender to help deputies capture an ax murderer and will serve 12 months of probation, a disciplinary panel ruled Monday. A three-month sentence also handed down by the Colorado Supreme Court Attorney Regulation Counsel for Jefferson County Chief Deputy District Attorney Mark Pautler will be stayed if he completes certain conditions such as taking a professional ethics class. (4/3/01, Rocky Mountain News)
- Court Backs Probation for Prosecutor
The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday denounced a prosecutor's dishonesty in impersonating a defense lawyer, even though it got a suspected killer to surrender. "Members of the legal profession must adhere to the highest moral and ethnical standards, even in circumstances in which they believe that lying serves the public interest," the court said in a disciplinary case against Jefferson County prosecutor Mark Pautler. "Purposeful deception . . . is intolerable, even when it is undertaken as a part of attempting to secure the surrender of a murder suspect," the court said. (5/14/02, Rocky Mountain News)
- Neal
Death Sentence Revoked
Jefferson County District Judge Tom Woodford revoked the
death
sentence
Friday
and imposed
three
consecutive
life prison terms because of recent court rulings finding that
Colorado's
law
was
unconstitutional.
... The
U.S.
Supreme
Court ruled in June that only jurors,
not judges,
can decide whether a convicted murderer will be executed. As a
result,
Colorado changed its law in July so
that
juries
do the
sentencing in capital cases, as they did before 1995, when the
legislature adopted the three-judge panel system. But
death
sentences
imposed
by the three-judge panels are being revoked and life
sentences
imposed in their place. (12/13/03,
Rocky
Mountain
News)
Search the news archives of the Boulder Daily Camera, the Denver Post, and the Denver Rocky Mountain News for additional information.
For information on other prisoners, see Colorado's Death Row.
See the Web site's News section for more articles and information about the death penalty.
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