text:
- Dec 9:
- Manzanares' widow to sue Jeffco
- Dec 7:
- Manzanares' widow files intent to sue notice
- Sep 5:
- Many doubted Manzanares
- Jul 6:
- Friends, families of suicide victims must face hard truth
- Jun 30:
- Full text of Jeffco DA Scott Storey's Manzanares letter
- Jul 4:
- DA refuses to release file in Manzanares case
- Jul 3:
- Lawyer: DA buffs image at Manzanares' expense
- Jun 29:
- Jeffco DA faces conduct probe
- Charges against Manzanares dismissed
- Jun 28:
- Judge dismisses charges in Manzanares case
- Manzanares' family speaks out about suicide
- Jun 27:
- Ludicrous to play race card
- Jun 26:
- Council members decry media over ex-judge's suicide
Golden - In his 25-year law career, former judge and Denver City Attorney Larry Manzanares built the résumé of a man bound for the state Supreme Court and a reputation for sound judgment.
He graduated from Harvard's law school, had success in private practice and became a judge at 35.
But Manzanares, now 50, is facing disgrace and possible disbarment over a stolen computer worth about $1,500. Jefferson County District Attorney Scott Storey filed three felony charges Wednesday against Manzanares alleging he stole a computer from his former employer, used it to download images and movies - many of them termed "sexually explicit" - and tried to cover his tracks when confronted by police.
An 80-page affidavit spelled out the allegations against Manzanares, who resigned as city attorney in February after serving in the office less than two months.
Manzanares told The Denver Post that he purchased the machine for $300 from a man in a parking lot and that he didn't know it was stolen. But the computer had images and software that clearly identified it as belonging to the Colorado State Judicial Branch, according to the affidavit.
Authorities have found no such seller, Storey said.
Manzanares was booked by authorities in Denver on Wednesday and released on a personal recognizance bond. He faces felony charges of theft, embezzlement and tampering with evidence as well as two misdemeanor counts of misconduct and computer crime.
If convicted on the theft charge - the most serious one - Manzanares could face a possible prison sentence of two to six years, Storey said.
Any lawyer convicted of crimes "punishable" by a term of more than one year will be suspended until all appeals are exhausted, according to the state's rules of practice. If the conviction stands, the lawyer is disbarred.
"Checking his e-mails"
Manzanares' attorney issued a statement Wednesday saying his client "is a human being with an extraordinary reputation as a good lawyer, judge, public servant, husband, father, son and friend.
"There is no adult who has not exercised bad judgment or made a mistake in their lifetime," defense attorney Gary Lozow said in the statement.
The affidavit reports that Manzanares passed a polygraph, though the investigator notes he disagrees with the opinion of Manzanares' truthfulness.
The ordeal began in January when an employee with the state court administrator's office filed a report with police that a laptop had been stolen from a locked storage room.
On Feb. 15, the Denver Police Department determined that the computer, which has been valued at $1,579, was in Manzanares' home.
According to the affidavit, when Denver police Detective Robert Lawrence and court administrator Miles Flesche first told him the computer had been tracked to his house, Manzanares denied having a laptop and later made a reference to "checking his judicial e-mails" after leaving the bench to serve as city attorney.
But staffers didn't recall checking out a computer to him for any purpose, the affidavit said.
There also was some confusion on Manzanares' part about whether the detective and Flesche were talking about a "state" computer or a "city" computer.
Denver District Court is part of the state judicial system.
Manzanares returned the laptop to Flesche without comment the next day, according to investigators.
"I panicked, I didn't know what to do," Manzanares later told Flesche, according to the affidavit.
After using the computer, Manzanares recognized some of the "judicial software," according to the affidavit.
Authorities suspect Manzanares altered the password and made "massive" deletions shortly after being notified that the laptop had been traced to his house.
A forensic review showed that the laptop had been used to view "sexual images" during the time it was missing, investigators said.
The "vast majority" of 2,080 images reviewed by investigators were either "sexually graphic, sexually overt, or were titled in a sexually explicit manner," according to the affidavit.
The forensic analysis also identified 187 video or movie titles. Of 12 videos reviewed, 10 "contained graphic sexual activity," the affidavit states.
Some materials are being sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to compare images to its database.
Manzanares has not been charged with a sex crime.
"He didn't have permission to use the computer at home and view the things he did," Storey said.
A chorus of disbelief
Storey's office was named special prosecutor because Manzanares' background and position with the city brings a conflict of interest for the Denver District Attorney's Office.
Wednesday's announcement of charges punctuated a five- month period that left friends, colleges and seemingly Manzanares himself in disbelief.
How could someone of his reputation make such a substantial mistake?
"Certainly this is not one of the smartest things I've done in my life," Manzanares said in February when explaining that he had bought the stolen computer from a man in a parking lot.
When Manzanares took the city attorney post with Denver, County Judge Doris Burd trumpeted him as a "highly ethical, extremely intelligent and a balanced man. I'm sorry for the bench that he's not going to be there."
And on the day when Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper accepted Manzanares' resignation, the mayor called the situation "in all dimensions, tragic."
"His whole life, he has lectured on ethics," Hickenlooper said at the time. "I don't know what was going through his head. But I don't think that makes him a bad person."
Manzanares' next court appearance, in Denver, is scheduled for June 22 before retired Senior District Judge Gaspar Perricone, who has been specially appointed to the case. Jefferson County prosecutors will continue to handle the case.