February 27, 2007 12:12 PM
The lawyer and the laptop
The new city attorney, who has been a judge for 14 years and earned his law degree from Harvard, says he bought a laptop from a guy in a parking lot who needed bail money. The laptop turns out to be stolen from the City and County Building where the city attorney worked when he was a judge. It was traced to the city attorney's home through the trail it left on the Internet.
Sure. Makes sense to me. Who doesn't acquire their electronics gear from a guy wearing a stocking cap and conducting business in a parking lot?
The city attorney, Larry Manzanares, is known for his integrity, say friends and colleagues. Mayor John Hickenlooper, who appointed Manzanares to his current job and placed him on "investigatory leave" says it's too early to say whether his appointee should resign.
Not too soon for the Rocky's editorial, which says Manzanares is "not fit to be city attorney."
What do you make of this? How does somebody with the brains and credentials of Manzanares get himself into this kind of a bind?
February 27, 2007
2:08 PM
Hogar De Vuelta (العودة) writes:
(Wagging his finger at the camera) "I did not steal that laptop!"
You would think that a judge with 14 years in the courtroom would have learned to lie a little better than that.
February 27, 2007
2:12 PM
Elwood writes:
Did he get a receipt??
If he didn't, he must have known he was into a shady deal. Fire him and charge him with possession of stolen property.
February 27, 2007
2:13 PM
Anonymous writes:
You would think that being a lawyer / judge he would have learned to cover his ass a little better!
February 27, 2007
2:15 PM
Anonymous writes:
Yeah, a parking lot is ALWAYS where I go when I need to upgrade computer hardware.
Yet another shining example of our Mayor only surrounding himself with the best people.
February 27, 2007
2:18 PM
Hogar De Vuelta (العودة) writes:
The real question is, "Was the guy in the parking lot wearing a blue dress?"
February 27, 2007
2:40 PM
David writes:
He fondled me and then I sold him the laptop for 25 cents.
February 27, 2007
3:02 PM
Anti-Moron writes:
Some dim bulbs would ask "Is he a Dem or a Repub?" "If he's a Dem, leave him alone, it's the vast right wing conspiracy....blah, blah."
"If he's a Repub, throw him in the slammer and toss away the key."
February 27, 2007
3:11 PM
Anonymous writes:
This guy is an obvious liberal, who cares about nothing except taking care of himself at taxpayer expense. He should face the full criminal penaltiy for this act.
Hick though, will appoint him to run our next election, snow storm or campaign for special rights for gays though.
February 27, 2007
3:13 PM
Anonymous writes:
I wonder if he claimed the cost of it on his expense sheet?
February 27, 2007
3:16 PM
Anonymous writes:
He just stepped down! Good for him, now prosecute his ass!
February 27, 2007
3:24 PM
shaggy writes:
This guy obviously stole it and didn`t realize it had tracking software installed in it.
Funny that it was taken out of a closet close to where his courtroom used to be and he had the key code to get in.
I wonder how many times he has heard that excuse as an acting judge?
February 27, 2007
3:43 PM
shaggy writes:
Fry him like a luney liberal in a sizzling hot pan of commonsense and reality.
February 27, 2007
3:43 PM
David (R) writes:
I think we should let the investigation proceed. If he is found guilty of stealing property belonging to the people, he should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, so he can see the stealy edge of justice cuts equally.
If he is innocent, then he should be left alone. But we shouldn't be trying him in the media or on a blog.
February 27, 2007
3:47 PM
Denver Corrections Theatre Department writes:
On behalf of my entire department, We think he'll be great as the lead in this Spring's production of "My Fair Lady"...
February 27, 2007
4:03 PM
jay writes:
He might be too stupid to hold that kind of office. If he broke the law prosecute him.
February 27, 2007
4:19 PM
Hogar De Vuelta (العودة) writes:
How does somebody with the brains and credentials of Manzanares get himself into this kind of a bind?
The same way that Clinton the Rhodes Scholar did, just check your morals at the door to the Brave New World.
February 27, 2007
5:08 PM
mi writes:
Yeah, David R. He just might be innocent... and I have some ocean front property to sell you in Colorado. The closet was close to his office, he had the key... but yet someone else made their way to the closet, and stole it and then sold it to him. In a pig's eye. He stepped down, but I doubt if he will be charged with anything further. The Mayor hires illegals for his restaurants and appoints this clown as City Attorney. Kind of scary what else Hickenlooper has up his sleeve.
February 27, 2007
7:22 PM
David Hakala writes:
What a waste. He was a good judge, lawyer, and citizen. Still is, except for the job titles.
February 27, 2007
9:30 PM
David (R) writes:
I see where you're coming from MI, but surely you must be able to see the error of folks like you and me just sitting out here, reading what some reporter was able to dig up (or what they felt like telling us about), and yet we feel little holding us back from passig a declaration about their guilt.
The American judicial system, whether we like it or not, is (or at least was) geared to favor the accused. This was done in large part to mitigate the possibility of innocent people going to prison, or to have people who were falsely accused - once a label of thief, pervert, murderer, rapist, etc. has been applied to a person, it is all but impossible to get rid of it even if it is untrue.
It means that some folks who are guilty are going to walk (see OJ, et al), but this system guarantees all of us fair, due process under the law. That is important for any civilized society - witness those without it (i.e. Mexico, many other Central and South American countries, almost anything in the midde east, etc). By resigning his position, he has effectively admitted (guilty or not) that he did it. Was he tried in the press? I would say "yes", but that's just my opinion.
February 28, 2007
8:08 AM
Anonymous writes:
The parking lot of the courthouse has video. We, big brother-the big thinkers expect physical altercations on a courthouse parking lot sooner or later as that's where parties involved in disputes park their cars before entering the dome of justice. "Take it outside" says the bartender. People suing each other aren't anymore happier than the guys fighting at the bar. The reason why this guy just stepped down is........do I have to type it? He never bought the laptop from a guy in a parking lot. And you'll never see video of it either. However, if it was a someone carjacking a city attorney in the lot, that video would be on the 5 O'clock news.
February 28, 2007
12:58 PM
Hahaha writes:
This is the same man who as a judge sent an entire family away for selling things out of their cars, back of trucks, etc. He had the nerve to sit at the bench and give a long moralizing speech about how buying and selling stolen items was one of the largest threats to the hard-working american citizen who ends up paying more, because of theft, yada, yada, yada...
Nail him. Plain and simple. This is an example of do as I say, not as I do.
February 28, 2007
2:04 PM
Anonymous writes:
My ass he didn't know better, he just finally got caught.
February 28, 2007
6:33 PM
DJ writes:
I always buy my computer hardware and software in the parking lot rather than have to get out of the car and actually enter the store. I just can't understand why you think this is unusual. Doesn't everyone - especially those political appointees do this type of thing? Just another wonderful thing that the city of Denver and the state of Colorado can be known for - along with giving huge bonuses and job security to longtime state employees by the now former governor. Is there anyone out there who is honest anymore?