Posted on 03/24/2007 9:32:51 AM PDT by Jonah Johansen
GRAND JUNCTION - A Park County prosecutor tried last month to keep in jail a driver who is now suspected in a high-speed crash that killed two college students.
"I thought he was a clear and present danger to the motoring public," Deputy District Attorney Martin Kenney, of Fairplay, said Friday.
On Thursday night, police say, Patrick Strawmatt killed two 19-year-old Mesa State College freshmen as he drove 120 mph from a pursuing Colorado State Patrol trooper.
He made an obscene hand gesture and raced away, slamming into a compact car carrying two students, Jennifer Kois, of Brighton, and Jacob Brock, of Eagle.
As firefighters worked to pull Strawmatt from his SUV, he swore and spit at them, Trooper Ron Greasley said.
Strawmatt was ordered held on $1 million bail Friday, as District Attorney Pete Hautzinger contemplated the possibility of adding first-degree murder charges to counts of vehicular homicide and DUI.
A Wheat Ridge resident, Strawmatt, 42, has a lengthy criminal record, but he was able to get out of jail the day after his Park County arrest last month because his bail was set at $15,000. ......Strawmatt was arrested Feb. 15 in Park County and faced multiple charges, including vehicular eluding, assault on a peace officer and DUI, court records indicate.
Kenney said he recited Strawmatt's extensive criminal record at the man's bond hearing, but was unable to persuade Magistrate Larry Allen to deviate from the bond schedule. Allen could not be reached for comment Friday.
(Excerpt) Read more at rockymountainnews.com ...
"Strawmatt was arrested Feb. 15 in Park County and faced multiple charges, including vehicular eluding, assault on a peace officer and DUI, court records indicate."
And with a criminal record he gets only $15,000 bond set.
UNBELIEVEABLE
There you go.
The druggies and the mentally challenged here in FR will show up and see the real problem; the pursuing troopers.
It's all their fault!
< /sarc >
The first degree murder charge is appropriate for this idiot. Keeping these guys off the road is difficult as even without a license many will continue to drive, but maybe if they gave this guy a life sentence without parole it cause a few others to think twice.
...firefighters worked to pull Strawmatt from his SUV...
They pulled him from the vehicle that caused the crash, but he's only suspected of being involved with it.....sloppy editing.
Strawmatt, a former Lafayette police officer, was driving erratically when troopers attempted to pull him over about 10 p.m. Thursday.
Follow the link and read the full story.
"Strawmatt, a former Lafayette police officer, was driving erratically when troopers attempted to pull him over about 10 p.m. Thursday.
He made an obscene hand gesture and raced away," my guess is they had run his tags and knew his arrest record also.
No...from the article:
Strawmatt, a former Lafayette police officer, was driving erratically when troopers attempted to pull him over about 10 p.m. Thursday.
The things you learn from reading the whole article at the source...
Once again, it takes a dead body (or in this case, two), for something to be done.
The perp should have had NO BAIL. Oh well.
Larry Allen should be in an adjoining cell for aiding and abetting this murderer. It's way past time that we start demanding accountability from the criminal-coddling judges in this country. These victimized families should have the right to sue Allen for every shred of property he has so that he and his family should suffer just a little of what his lousy job-decisions have led the victims' families to suffer.
When the PERP chose to flee from the police, HE took full responsibility for his actions. And their consequences. It is NOT the police's fault. sheesh.
"Patrick Strawmatt worked for seven years as an officer for the police department in Lafayette, helping keep safe the streets of the small city east of Boulder."
Source: http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/03/24/3_24_1A_fatal_accident_arrest.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=7
Exactly.
Too bad it wasn't the judgge and his family.
"In fact, this is an argument for denying bond "
OKay. Fine with me. You have prior record, NO Bond. No problem.
That's a job for the legislature, not for the judge.
Why didn't they just waste him?
Trials are so inconvenient and costly.
I guess that would depend upon whether the judge is allowed to use his discretion on bails.
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