DENVER | Colorado court officials have denied a request to reconsider a ruling declaring the sentences of hundreds of criminal defendants to be illegal.
The Denver Post reported Monday that the state Supreme Court refused to rethink whether criminal offenders could be sentenced to both prison and probation in the same case.
Officials say the court ruled in September that defendants couldn’t be simultaneously sentenced.
Attorney General Phil Weiser filed a petition this month challenging the decision saying it could create extensive litigation effecting hundreds, maybe thousands, of plea agreements and leading to numerous challenges.
Officials say defendants convicted by a jury must be resentenced.
Authorities say witnesses might have moved away, police investigators might have retired, and victims might not want to testify again causing problems in the process.
Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com