YEAR- OLD SPAT IN ASPEN LEADS TO GUILTY PLEA
ASPEN » A confrontation over an off- color remark that turned violent and injured an older man outside a downtown restaurant a year ago led a Denver man to plead guilty to a felony Monday.
Charles Schaper, 51, was sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation under the terms of a plea deal with the District Attorney’s Office, which calls for the felony conviction to be wiped from his record provided he stays out of trouble for the year. In addition to pleading guilty to felony criminal negligence resulting in serious bodily injury to an at- risk person, he also pleaded to misdemeanor reckless endangerment.
The plea deal also calls for him to serve 200 hours of community service.
After a confrontation inside the restaurant, Schaper told District Judge Chris Seldin he raised an arm in self- defense when the 85- year- old man confronted him outside, which inadvertently knocked the man to the ground. The older man suffered four broken ribs, according to reports at the time.
“I feel very, very bad about this,” Schaper said Monday, noting he’d never been in a physical altercation before. “I’m devastated this man in his 80s had these injuries. It’s completely out of character and not how I was raised. I deeply apologize to him if he should ever hear this.”
Pam Mackey, Schaper’s attorney, said the confrontation itself was minor and would likely have resulted in misdemeanor charges. However, the severity of the man’s injuries resulted in the felony charge. Mackey said Schaper had lost his job as a result of the incident and has been unemployed for nearly a year.
Broomfield finds expensive mistake on ballot. Broomfield has reported a discrepancy in language between the Taxpayer Bill of Rights notice, sent out Oct. 2, and marijuana tax measure on the November ballot, which was sent out Oct. 9.
That error inadvertently decreased the amount the city and county may collect by $ 1.3 million.
The ballot measure, Question 2A, asks the voters to approve a 4% sales tax on retail marijuana, the revenue for which would not exceed $ 2.2 million in the first fiscal year. According to a statement from the city and county, it should have reflected a
$ 3.5 million limit for the first fiscal year. The question of whether or not to add a sales tax to potential future marijuana sales remains the same.
Broomfield’s city and county attorney’s office has conferred with outside legal counsel and their initial assessment is that this will not invalidate Broomfield’s ability to impose the retail sales tax on marijuana, but that it will limit the maximum amount of revenue that can be raised to $ 2.2 million amount for the first fiscal year.
A moratorium banning marijuana sales, along with other cannabis- related bans, remains in effect until February. Broomfield City Council has yet to adopt regulations, according to statement, and city and county staff do not feel this change will impact future revenue if the measure passes.
SUV driver charged in two deaths. A driver has been charged with the deaths of two people killed when the SUV she was driving struck a motorcycle in Thornton.
Dillan Ardrey Avis, 26, has been charged with two counts of careless driving resulting in death for a Sept. 26 incident in which Michael W. Schaff, 44, and Krisi Schaff, 43, died, according to the Adams County District Attorney’s Office.
The crash happened near the intersection of East 104th Avenue and Washington Street, according to a news release. The couple died at the scene.
Avis has been served with a summons and complaint. An advisement hearing is scheduled for Nov. 26.