{"id":20663,"date":"2019-12-21T08:59:03","date_gmt":"2019-12-21T15:59:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyhinews.com\/?p=62207"},"modified":"2019-12-21T12:06:48","modified_gmt":"2019-12-21T19:06:48","slug":"kremmling-police-chief-on-paid-administrative-leave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/local-news\/kremmling-police-chief-on-paid-administrative-leave\/","title":{"rendered":"Kremmling police chief on paid administrative leave"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
Kremmling Police Chief reacts during a special town council meeting Friday at Kremmling Town Hall. During the meeting, town council put the chief on paid administrative leave.<\/strong>
Eli Pace \/ epace@skyhinews.com<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Elected officials put Kremmling Police Chief Jamie Lucas on paid administrative leave Friday after the 14th<\/sup> Judicial District Attorney\u2019s Office essentially blacklisted the chief this week.<\/p>\n

During a special meeting Friday, Kremmling Town Council was clear its decision to pull Lucas off the job for the time being doesn\u2019t reflect a lack of faith in him or his police work. Rather, council members said the town would fight the DA\u2019s decision, to which almost a dozen people gathered at town hall offered a round of applause.<\/p>\n

\u201cI respect the hard decision that (town council) had to make,\u201d Lucas said afterward. \u201cDo I agree with it? No. I think that a DA\u2019s office that can dictate how a community polices itself and offers services to their community members is being stomped on today and they have not allowed this community to be a community.\u201d<\/p>\n

The spat between the DA\u2019s office and Kremmling police chief stems from Lucas\u2019 alleged mishandling of a report of animal abuse, in which three juveniles were accused of mutilating a feral cat before shooting the cat on a property outside town limits in October.<\/p>\n

The alleged abuse was reportedly caught on a video that made rounds at West Grand High School before a tipster alerted authorities on Nov. 4. Chief Lucas previously said he handled the animal abuse investigation by charging the juveniles involved with disturbing the peace and fining them $500 through Kremmling\u2019s municipal court system.<\/p>\n

A letter dated Nov. 25 from Grand County Undersheriff Wayne Schafer to District Attorney Matt Karzen details how the investigation into Chief Lucas\u2019 actions began. In the letter, Schafer says that Grand County Sheriff Brett Schroetlin told Lucas he could investigate the report of animal abuse before describing some concerns about how Lucas handled the case.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first being that Chief Lucas knowingly initiating an official prosecution proceeding in municipal court in which there is no jurisdiction to do so,\u201d Schafer wrote. \u201cIn doing this, Chief Lucas subverted the lawful legal process the (sic) would have involved not only our Office, but the District Attorney\u2019s Office and Grand County Courts as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

The letter was obtained by the Sky-Hi News through an open records request at Kremmling Town Hall that was approved by Chief Lucas on Friday and again later in the day via the district attorney\u2019s office.  Additionally, Lucas elected to hold town council\u2019s proceedings in public rather than a private, executive session, which he could have opted to do.<\/p>\n

In his letter to the district attorney, Schafer expressed fears that any attempts to \u201ccorrect the mistakes that were made during Chief Lucas\u2019 investigation\u201d could constitute double jeopardy for the juveniles, who have already agreed to pay the fine prior to their municipal court date in January.<\/p>\n

In response to Shafer\u2019s concerns, the district attorney requested the Fraser Winter Park Police Department conduct an independent investigation into how Chief Lucas came to cite the juveniles into municipal court \u201cfor what appears to be a felony animal cruelty incident that occurred outside KPD\u2019s jurisdiction.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Friday, Lucas\u2019 supporters wondered why the DA\u2019s office didn\u2019t request an agency outside Grand County conduct the investigation into Lucas, who himself pointed out that he\u2019s spearheaded other successful investigations spanning multiple jurisdictions.<\/p>\n

While some questions have come up over the sheriff\u2019s office giving Lucas permission to take the lead on the animal abuse investigation, Karzen explained that the question isn\u2019t whether Lucas had permission, but what information he gave the sheriff\u2019s office before taking the case into municipal court.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have considered alternatives to this course of action, but I am unable to think of any viable way to mitigate the underlying concerns, which involve the fundamental integrity of the criminal justice process,\u201d Karzen wrote in a letter to Kremmling Town Manager Dan Stoltman this week.<\/p>\n

In the letter, Karzen said no decision regarding the prosecution of Chief Lucas has or could be made at this time. However, he added that, \u201cbased on certain evidence revealed during the investigation, the District Attorney\u2019s Office can unfortunately no longer accept any criminal cases from Chief Lucas, nor can we accept any cases that involve him acting in any investigative capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Stoltman, Kremmling\u2019s municipal court cases won\u2019t be affected by the DA\u2019s refusal to accept Lucas\u2019 police work, but higher level offenses will not be adjudicated if Lucas has anything to do with the case.<\/p>\n

That leaves the town in a tough position because, despite council\u2019s reluctance to remove the chief, knowing his criminal cases won\u2019t be prosecuted could deprive potential victims of any chance they might have of seeing justice. And if cases are not being adjudicated, those victims could win lawsuits against the town, council members said.<\/p>\n

In their remarks, residents at Friday\u2019s special meeting praised Chief Lucas and what he\u2019s done for the community since taking the job in summer 2018. They also accused the DA\u2019s and sheriff\u2019s offices of having it out for Lucas and the Kremmling Police Department before Lucas ever came on board.<\/p>\n

However, in his letter to town officials, Karzen said all other KPD officers remain \u201cin good standing as far as the DA\u2019s office is concerned,\u201d and Karzen even encouraged those officers to reach out to the district attorney\u2019s office for legal advice when needed.<\/p>\n

Councilman Leo Pesch cast the lone vote against putting Lucas on paid administrative leave on Friday. Also, council members were unanimous in a second vote to appeal a decision from the town\u2019s insurance provider regarding the DA\u2019s refusal to accept cases handled by Chief Lucas. Stoltman declined to go into detail about what role the town\u2019s insurance provider has to play in this dispute.<\/p>\n

BRADY LISTED<\/strong><\/p>\n

While none of the correspondence obtained by the Sky-Hi News specifically mentions the \u201cBrady list,\u201d Karzen confirmed over the phone that he is putting Lucas on the DA office\u2019s Brady list.<\/p>\n

Getting Brady listed has been likened to \u201ca scarlet letter\u201d for police officers in Colorado after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1963 that prosecutors are required to disclose any exculpatory evidence to the defense, including information about witnesses\u2019 credibility.<\/p>\n

The Times-Call in Longmont reported in 2018<\/a> that Colorado expanded on the Brady ruling by requiring state prosecutors to be even more forthcoming with defense teams, including disclosing officers who have histories of untruthfulness or misconduct.<\/p>\n

According to the Times-Call, getting Brady listed can be a career-ender for law enforcement in Colorado because prosecutors are often reluctant to put these officers on the stand during jury trials knowing their histories could be called into question.<\/p>\n

PREVIOUSLY SANCTIONED<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is not the first time Lucas has faced disciplinary action as a public official. In January 2008, Lucas was arrested in Lexington County, South Carolina, on a petty theft charge after he allegedly took a statue from a home with two other people.<\/p>\n

The charges were later dropped, but Lucas was reprimanded and resigned his position as a Lexington County magistrate.<\/p>\n

According to an opinion<\/a> from State of South Carolina: \u201cIn this judicial disciplinary matter, (Lucas) and the Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC) have entered into an Agreement \u2026  In the agreement, (Lucas) admits misconduct and consents to a public reprimand. (He) has also resigned his position and has agreed never to seek nor accept a judicial office in South Carolina without the express written permission of this Court after written notice to ODC. We accept the agreement and publicly reprimand (Lucas), the most severe sanction we are able to impose under these circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
Kremmling Town Manager Dan Stoltman addresses the audience during a special meeting Friday at Kremmling Town Hall.<\/strong>
0000658<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

KPD STAFFING<\/strong><\/p>\n

KPD is not a large department, but it won\u2019t go empty with the chief on leave.<\/p>\n

Town Manager Dan Stoltman said Kremmling currently has three officers including Lucas. Because one is new, the other two KPD officers are currently functioning as a single unit.<\/p>\n

In addition to the two KPD officers, the sheriff\u2019s office will continue handling some law enforcement responsibilities in Kremmling, said Lt. Dan Mayer, spokesman for the sheriff\u2019s office. He said urgent and emergency calls in town will continue to see a response from the sheriff\u2019s office when a KPD officer is not on duty.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they need a cop, we\u2019re going to send one,\u201d Mayer said. \u201cIf it\u2019s something that\u2019s not urgent or more routine, we will either forward that to a Kremmling officer or handle it on a discretionary basis.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
Residents speak out in support of Kremmling Police Chief Jamie Lucas on Friday at Kremmling Town Hall.<\/strong>
0000668<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

A ROOM FULL OF SUPPORT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Almost a dozen residents attended Friday\u2019s special meeting even though the agenda called for most of it to be conducted behind closed doors.<\/p>\n

Council adjusted the agenda after Lucas agreed to a public proceeding, and there was no shortage of support for the chief, either in the audience or among town council members.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis just feels so, (it\u2019s) putting Kremmling over a barrel,\u201d said Grand County Commissioner Kris Manguso, who was among the supporters. \u201cChief or no chief, it doesn\u2019t matter. This is against the town. They are attacking Kremmling as a town and as a community.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the votes were cast, Lucas and his wife were visibly shaken by town council\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n

Lucas said he felt \u201ctargeted\u201d by the DA\u2019s office, and he doesn\u2019t know where he goes from here other than he\u2019ll have to seek legal advice as he looks to challenge this. As for everyone who made a point to support Lucas on Friday, he was grateful for their presence.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels wonderful,\u201d he said of having a room full of support. \u201cWhen I came here to begin the police chief\u2019s position, that was what I wanted to reach out to, is the community, and get the support of the community working with the police department so that we can collectively resolve issues that come up \u2026 It\u2019s so easy to write a ticket and move on, but to involve the community, to let them be a partner in assisting that resolution, so that the community feels safe, they feel trusted and they feel that whatever situation (they) maybe involved in, everyone is going to get a fair shake.\u201d<\/p>\n

via:: Sky-Hi News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kremmling Police Chief reacts during a special town council meeting Friday at Kremmling Town Hall. During the meeting, town council put the chief on paid administrative leave.Eli Pace \/ epace@skyhinews.com Elected officials put Kremmling Police Chief Jamie Lucas on paid administrative leave Friday after the 14th Judicial District Attorney\u2019s Office essentially blacklisted the chief this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-20663","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-16 20:27:31","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KRKY Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20663"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20663\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20664,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20663\/revisions\/20664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}