DENVER – In a rare move, a Colorado legislative committee Thursday reversed course on a police-reform bill that it already passed, choosing to kill the measure concerning unlawful orders.
Lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee say they reconsidered the issue after supporting it Tuesday night, and therefore advanced a motion to take another vote on the issue. It took a two-thirds vote by the committee to reconsider.
“We rarely bring back a bill like this,” said Rep. Tim Dore, R-Elizabeth, one of four lawmakers to flip. “But we’re late in the session, and if a bill is not fully ready for prime time, I don’t think we have enough time to go forward.”
The other lawmakers to backpedal were Reps. Lois Court, D-Denver, Paul Lundeen, R-Monument, and Kevin Van Winkle, R-Highlands Ranch.
The measure died on a 10-3 vote.
It would have required a court to dismiss all charges against a defendant that were based on a violation of an unlawful order.
Concerns were raised by law enforcement and prosecutors over a provision of the bill that would have allowed a court to order an agency that filed the charges to reimburse the defendant for attorney’s fees. They also suggested that the bill is unnecessary, pointing out that there already are remedies through the courts.