Court Upholds New Reasonable Doubt Instruction

The Colorado Supreme Court upheld the state’s revised reasonable doubt jury instruction Monday, rejecting a challenge that it makes convictions easier.

The 2023 wording tells jurors to convict if they are “firmly convinced” of guilt, and says prosecutors fall short if there is “a real possibility” the defendant isn’t guilty.

The challenge came from Alexis Teran Sanchez, convicted by an Adams County jury of hit-and-run offenses. His lawyers commissioned a University of Denver study of 896 people suggesting the new language slightly raises conviction rates.

Justice Brian Boatright wrote that online surveys can’t replicate a real jury room, and that the instruction read as a whole revealed “no concern that it lowers the burden of proof.”

Court of Appeals Judges Daniel Taubman and Michael Berger have argued the “real possibility” phrasing assumes guilt. Two justices who helped write the instruction, Carlos Samour and Susan Blanco, heard the appeal.

Denver’s Online Parking Disputes Return

Denver reopened its online parking ticket dispute portal at 8 a.m. Monday, a year after the city shut it down.

Denver County Court closed the old portal last September when it laid off its five parking magistrates during budget cuts. Fighting a ticket meant two trips downtown, plus a wait that stretched past three months.

Disputes collapsed. In 2025, 12% of citations were challenged; so far this year, just 1%, while final court hearings jumped to 269 last April from five a year earlier.

The court has said parking disputes are administrative, not judicial. The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure now handles reviews with four employees.

The program costs $300,000 to $400,000 a year, paid from a transportation fund rather than the general fund. Only tickets issued on or after Aug. 25 and less than 20 days old qualify.

Michelin Adds One Colorado Star

The Michelin Guide handed out exactly one new star in Colorado on Monday, to Denver’s Milpero.

It’s the third star for chef Johnny Curiel, who also holds stars at Alma Fonda Fina and Mezcaleria Alma. Milpero serves a corn-focused tasting menu in Denver’s River North Art District.

This was the first guide since Michelin expanded beyond Denver, Boulder, Aspen, Snowmass, Vail, and Beaver Creek to cover the whole state. Colorado Springs landed its first two entries: Four by Brother Luck and The Penrose Room at The Broadmoor were both named Recommended Restaurants.

Three more earned Bib Gourmand honors for value: Annette in Aurora, plus Pig and Tiger and Rougarou in Denver. Breckenridge, Telluride, and Aurora also picked up their first recommended entries.

Colorado now has 63 recognized restaurants across 22 cuisines. No restaurant lost a star or fell off the list.

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➤ Boulder County: Voters will decide in November whether to raise property taxes 2.579 mills for childcare, about $163 a year on a $1 million home. The $30 million would fund tuition help for families earning up to $150,000 and add infant and toddler slots. (See Details)

➤ Grand Junction: Firefighters knocked down a quarter-acre brush fire in tall vegetation along the river corridor south of Las Colonias Dog Park around 8:30 p.m. Sunday. See Details)

➤ Silverthorne: The Summit County town moved into stage four water restrictions Monday, barring all outdoor watering except winterizing sprinkler systems, along with hosing down vehicles, buildings, and pavement. (See Details)

➤ Rifle: Two drivers were killed early Sunday when a 17-year-old driving the wrong way on westbound I-70 struck an 18-year-old woman’s SUV head-on near mile marker 93. The SUV then hit a semi’s trailer; that driver was unhurt. (See Details)

➤ Fort Collins: Cherry Street will close to all traffic between College Avenue and Mason Street in north Old Town through Friday while crews work on the railroad crossing. (More)

➤ Garfield County: Garfield Re-2 earned an “accredited” rating for the second straight year, its highest score yet at 59.7% of possible points. No Colorado district topped 80%. Both of the district’s high schools and both middle schools hit “accredited” individually for the first time. (More)

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➤ Denver opened its AFC West title defense with a 31-10 loss at Arrowhead. Kenneth Walker III ran for 173 yards in his Chiefs debut, Patrick Mahomes ran for a score in his return, and the Broncos’ only touchdown was a first-quarter pass from Bo Nix to Evan Engram. (More)

➤ Joe Sakic will stay on as general manager of the Avalanche indefinitely, with no search planned to replace him. Sakic, already president of hockey operations, added the GM title in June. (More)

➤ Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon backed Peyton Watson after Denver sent him to Cleveland in a sign-and-trade worth $88 million over four years. “Peyton is like my brother. I’m happy for him, the situation that he’s in,” Gordon said at his youth camp. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | MLB | Soccer

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➤ Coffee vs Hot Cacao vs Green Tea:  Which of these hot drinks was proven in a study boost stem cells by 220% in 30 days?  Billionaires drop 6 figures on stem cell therapy, but this hot drink costs 50 cents a day and boosts anti-aging stem cells improving heart health, blood pressure, and longevity.

➤ Oasis Management, which owns about 6.5% of Vail Resorts, nominated four directors to Vail Resort’s board, including Olympic gold medalist Picabo Street and former Disney CEO Robert Chapek, escalating a potential proxy fight. Vail says it will weigh the candidates and make recommendations to shareholders. (More)

➤ An early freeze killed the apple crop at Penrose’s last two orchards, for a second straight year, a blow for a town founded on apples. “Such is farming. You have to be an optimist,” said Lance Tyler of Third Street Apples. (Read Story)

➤ L.L. Bean will open its second Colorado store Oct. 30 at The Promenade Shops at Briargate in Colorado Springs, taking over a former Container Store space of more than 13,000 square feet. It’s hiring about 40 full- and part-time workers. (More)

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➤ Aspen Snowmass will sell $3.75 lift tickets for Dec. 14, matching what a ticket cost the day Aspen Mountain opened on Dec. 14, 1946. Tickets that weekend normally run $209, and the resort says quantities are limited. (See Details)

➤ First responders in mountain counties are urging the crowds heading to see fall leaves to keep the winding roads and passes clear for emergency vehicles. A hot, dry summer has the aspens turning weeks early. (More)

➤ Boardwalk Pizzeria in Northglenn launched Johnny Quattro Presents, a DIY punk show series at the shop. The Yeah Dawgs play tonight. (Read Story)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ These 10 ways to save money could put thousands back in your pocket. (Hear List)

➤ Owning a car now costs thousands a year beyond the loan payment, and one expense is climbing fastest. (Hear Details)

➤ Celine Dion returned to the stage after years of silence forced by an incurable neurological disorder. (Listen Now)

Are you planning a trip to see the fall leaves?

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2. Maybe
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Yesterday’s Results:

Would you buy a laundry-folding robot?

1. Absolutely: 9%
2. Maybe: 15%
3. Probably not: 76%

A feud between two water bottling companies over what Colorado town name reached the U.S. Supreme Court?

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