Denver District Attorney's Office
RACIAL MAKEUP
- 1 Undisclosed race >1%
- 3 Asian >3%
- 3 Mixed Race >3%
- 4 African Americans 3.6%
- 7 Hispanic/Latino 6.4%
91 White 83.4%
The Denver District Attorney's Office racial makeup has always been over 80% white. Their history of who & how they prosecute different races has been demonstrated from the Colorado University Law Journal and other reporting. This office has continued this tradition by giving people that look like them and their staff a second chance regardless if their crime like Lisl Auman included the slaying of a Denver Police Officer or Jeremiah Barnum's case which included the slaying of an African immigrant working at the bus stop as well as the paralization of a good samaritan.
The following is a data analysis for the life without the possibility of parole sentence that Abe received for first-degree kidnapping
The other death penalty case the Denver DA’s office filed after Abe’s was in in 2012, People v. Lewis, 12CR4743. Again, it was against a black defendant, and Joe Morales prosecuted the case. Even though there has been hundreds of cases that were death penalty eligible between Abe’s case 1998 and Mr. Lewis’, the Denver DA’s office chose only these two black defendants to file the death penalty against.
This is a transcript from Abe's trial and his attorney, Forest Lewis, questioning Matt Conner regarding his plea agreement with special clauses within it in exchange for testifying against Abe.
Mr. Lewis: You knew that the penalty for First Degree Murder -- one of the possible penalties was death by lethal injection, didn't you?
Matt Conner: Yes.
Mr. Lewis: And if not that, life without any ever possibility of parole?
Matt Conner: Yes.
Mr. Lewis: But you and your attorney worked out an agreement with the District Attorney's office, didn't you?
Matt Conner: Yes.
Mr. Lewis: And under that agreement, you were required to testify against Abe Hagos, weren't you?
Matt Conner: Yes.
Mr. Lewis: And you would be allowed to plead to Attempted First Degree Murder; correct?
Matt Conner: Yes.
Mr. Lewis: Now, the possible penalty for Attempted First Degree Murder is up to 48 years; isn't it?
Matt Conner: Yes.
Mr. Lewis: But you worked out an agreement with the district attorney for half that much; correct?
Matt Conner: Yes.
Mr. Lewis: And you entered that plea in January of last year; right?
Matt Conner: Yes.
Mr. Lewis: A year and 4 months ago. You haven't been sentenced yet, have you?
Matt Conner: No.
Mr. Lewis: They told you, you are not going to get sentenced until after you testify in this case, didn't they?
Matt Conner: Basically, yes.
Mr. Lewis: Now, the same district attorney's that are handling Abe's case are handling your case; right?
Matt Conner: Yes.
Mr. Lewis: These are the people that are going to be present at your sentencing?
Matt Conner: Yes.
Mr. Lewis: Whatever happens. And, in fact, one of the issues would be to calculate good time, earned time credit so you can try to get some credit off that 24?
Matt Conner: Yes.
Mr. Lewis: They are the people that will have some input into doing that, aren't they?
Matt Conner: Yes.
Mr. Lewis: So you went from the possibility of death, to 24 years; right?
Matt Conner: Yes.
Mr. Lewis: You think it should be less, don't you?
Matt Conner: I would like it to be less.
Mr. Lewis: You've done all you can do to get it as low as you can; right?
Matt Conner: Yes.
Mr. Lewis: Nothing further.
Then on redirect, Joe Morales said the following,
Mr. Morales: Counsel asked you some questions about how the DA's office was going to help you calculate your good time and your earned time. Do you recall those questions?
Matt Conner: Yes.
Mr. Morales: Do you know who calculate you good time and your earned time?
Matt Conner: No.
Mr. Morales: You have been in custody since July 20th of 1999?
Matt Conner: Yes.
Mr. Morales: And as a result of not being sentenced to the Department of Corrections, do you believe you're losing credit?
Matt Conner: It's a possibility, yes.
Mr. Morales: Do you know how?
Matt Conner: As far as I'm aware, you don't get good time sitting in the county jail when you are not sentenced to the county jail.
Mr. Morales: You only get the good time when you are sitting in DOC?
Matt Conner: Right
Mr. Morales: Do you know who calculates good time? Is it the District Attorney's Office or The Department of Corrections?
Matt Conner: Is it DOC.
Mr. Morales: We have no role in what you get as a result of that; is that right?
Matt Conner: No.
Mr. Morales: As far as your understanding?
Matt Conner: Yes, as far as I know.
Click here to see the original transcript
This is what happened after Abe’s conviction four months later in front of the corrupt Judge Morris B. Hoffman, who illegally oversaw Abe’s Grand Jury and then the very same case (kidnapping case) they allegedly indicted Abe on with no True Bill. Click here to view Judge Hoffman’s misconduct (show Matt Connors sentencing transcript)
As you will have noticed, Ms. Holton was very, very crafty in this matter. She knew the law and knew the Colorado Revised Statues (C.R.S.) don’t allow for a defendant to receive earned time and good time while in the county jail, as did the corrupt Judge Hoffman. But, by Ms. Holton requesting to have it disguised as presentence confinement and Judge Hoffman agreeing to it it was secured Matt Connor would have over 7 years deducted from his 24 year sentence. Additionally, the Colorado Department of Corrections was now required by law to give Matt Connor all these additional credits that he wasn’t entitled too.
Chief Deputy DA Joe Morales committed prosecutorial misconduct at trial by stating that the Denver DA’s office had nothing to do with earned time/good time credits and it was the Department of Corrections that did when his office entered into the agreement the year before. The prosecutor at the sentencing hearing clearly debunked that lie. In all, Matt Connor, the only white defendant in the case was shown white privilege by an office who’s history has shown preferential treatment to people that look like them with the assistance of corrupt judges.
The Denver District Attorney's Office racial makeup has always been over 80% white. Their history of who & how they prosecute different races has been demonstrated from the Colorado University Law Journal and other reporting. Beth McCann has continued this tradition by giving people that look like her and her staff a second chance regardless if their crime like Lisl Auman included the slaying of a Denver Police Officer or Jeremiah Barnum's case which included the slaying of an African immigrant working at the bus stop as well as the paralization of a good samaritan.
