I'll add my thanks to all who served. On Veterans' Day, I try to concentrate on those who served and are alive. Otherwise, there would be no difference between Veteran's Day and Memorial Day.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Documents were unsealed today in the felony sex case against Colorado District Attorney Myrl Serra. Serra is the elected DA for the 7th District, which includes Telluride, Montrose, Delta, and Gunnison. Serra was arrested September 30, but few factual details were released, other than it was sex related and may be related to an affair gone bad. First, the charges:

Serra, 48, is charged with felony unlawful sexual contact, felony criminal extortion and five misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure and unlawful sexual contact. He has denied the allegations.

The documents released today allege Serra harassed three women employees in his office, exposing himself, demanding sexual favors, and threatening their job positions if they didn't go along. [More...]

We all know Prop 19 lost in California, although it did get a respectable 46% of the vote. But, how did other marijuana initiatives fare across the country? Marijuana Policy Project has this recap (no link yet, received by e-mail):

• Arizona: Proposition 203, which would bring a working medical marijuana law to the state, is too-close-to-call at the moment, as tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of additional ballots remain to be counted. MPP will continue to closely monitor the outcome of this proposition over the coming days.

• South Dakota: Measure 13, which would have protected seriously ill South Dakota residents from arrest and prosecution for using medical marijuana with their doctor’s recommendation, was ultimately rejected by voters.

[More...]

Joey DiSlavo won the Pitkin County Sheriff's race to replace retiring Bob Braudis, garnering a whopping 79% of the vote.

DiSalvo’s campaign centered on a promise not to make any sweeping changes to the office Braudis has run since 1987, and to continue the local tradition of community policing and building public trust, begun by Sheriff Dick Kienast in the 1970s. In that time, the sheriff’s office has garnered attention for progressive policies like running a comfortable jail, training locals as officers rather than hiring experienced outsiders, and not conducting undercover investigations.

TalkLeft first endorsed DiSalvo in April, when he announced his candidacy. Follow-up posts on the race, including his stance in favor of legalization of drugs for personal use, opposition to use of undercover cops and views on drug policy are here, here and here. Favorite line of the campaign, considering it comes from a law enforcement officer:

[DiSalvo said] he had no interest in whether people in their own homes “fire up a joint or do a line on [their] table.”

Congrats to Aspen and Joe DiSalvo.

Voters in Larimer County, Colorado have voted not to retain Judges Jolene Blair and Terry Gilmore. Both were prosecutors in the case of wrongfully convicted Tim Masters, who received a $10 million settlement after DNA evidence proved him not guilty of murder. Masters served 10 years in prison.

Blair and Gillmore were censured by the Colorado Supreme Court for misconduct in failing to comply with proper defense discovery requests and engaging in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice. The Blair decision is here and the Gilmore decision is here.

The AP and local news stations have called the Colorado Governor's race for Denver's popular Mayor John Hickenlooper.

Tom Tancredo was 20 points behind, and Republican Dan Maes is in the single digits.

This bodes well for Senator Bennet.

Denver passed a metropolitan milestone last week with the opening of its first Four Seasons hotel. It took a few years to build, as it was done from the ground up. The first 17 floors are the hotel and the 28 floors above that are very pricey condos, ranging from $895,000 to $7.5 million.

Four Seasons are probably my favorite hotels anywhere, and I've been fortunate enough to stay in more than my fair share around the world. (The Four Seasons on 57th St in New York is one of my all time favorites. Incredible beds, and the best bathtubs ever, that fill in 60 seconds.)

So what's Denver's Four Seasons like? Does it compare to those in fancier, more sophisticated or tropical places? I spent five hours there last night, celebrating a friend's birthday with a group of friends. I was tempted to spend the night, since they are offering an introductory special rate of $180 a night until January 31, but I didn't need to. I observed enough to know the hotel is a winner and a great addition to Denver. [More...]

A new poll from the Denver Post and 9News have Sen. Michael Bennet and challenger Ken Buck in a dead heat. Three weeks ago, Buck was leading by five points.

In the Governor's race, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper has a good lead on Tom Tancredo. The poll shows he's got more support than Tancredo and the Republican candidate, Dan Maes, combined. Results here.

Tancredo is ratcheting up the ads against both Maes and Hickenlooper. [More...]

Thanks to Marijuana Policy Project for publishing this list of marijuana initiatives on local Colorado ballots this year.

The following jurisdictions will ask their citizens if medical marijuana dispensaries should be ALLOWED – Vote“Yes” on dispensary measures in the following jurisdictions.

• Antonito
• DeBeque
• Dinosaur
• Hot Sulphur Springs
• Lake City
• Loveland
• Ouray
• Paonia (two questions)
• Ramah
• Conejos County
• Eagle County

The following jurisdictions (some municipal, some county)will ask their citizens if medical marijuana dispensaries should be PROHIBITED – Vote “No” on dispensary measures in the following jurisdictions. [More...]

Warren Carter pleaded guilty to stealing copper wire from the Little Nell Residences in Aspen. The judge sentenced him to three years. Upon hearing the sentence, he bolted from the courtroom and was caught 7 minutes later.

Yesterday, Carter agreed to plead guilty to escape for his 7 minutes on the lam. The agreed upon sentence: three years, consecutive to the three years on the original charge. Carter will plead on November 1. Until then, it looks like he'll remain a guest of the Pitkin County Jail.

True, he has a lengthy record, and could have been charged as a habitual offender and faced much more time, but labeling someone a "fugitive" for a 7 minute panic attack seems a little excessive.

Ken Buck and Sen. Michael Bennet were on Meet the Press today. Ken Buck said homosexuality is a choice.

DAVID GREGORY: Do you believe that being gay is a choice?

KEN BUCK: I do.

DAVID GREGORY: Based on what?

KEN BUCK: Based on what?

DAVID GREGORY: Yeah. Why do you believe that?
KEN BUCK: I guess-- you can choose who your partner is.

DAVID GREGORY: You don't think it's something that's determined at birth?

KEN BUCK: I-- I think that-- birth has an influence over like alcoholism and some other things-- but I think that-- basically, you-- you have a choice.

Sen. Bennet called Buck an opportunist:[More....]

Both Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton will be coming to Colorado to campaign for Sen. Michael Bennet. No one's saying if President Obama will also be coming to town. after Clinton

Clinton supported Bennet's opponent, Andrew Romanoff, in the primary. But Romanoff has also been campaigning for Bennet since then.

The Ken Buck misconduct charge ad has played three times in primetime tonight that I've seen. I hope it's having a good effect for Sen. Bennet.

In other local news, Prop. 62, the Personhood Amendment seems destined for defeat.