Two requests for investigations have been submitted to the Colorado Supreme Court’s Attorney Regulation Counsel, citing violations of Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct by the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.   

The Canon City Daily Record is reporting that the requests were filed by Douglas County resident Tom Chelston, who was one of the hundreds of citizens who assisted in the search for Suzanne Morphew, who went missing in May of 2020 in Chaffee County. He alleges that District Attorney Linda Stanley’s action during the open case violated the rules of professional conduct.   

Chelston’s letter states, “My concerns were further realized when DA Stanley failed to provide formal interviews with actual news organizations while holding online interviews about this murder case with amateur YouTube crime channels.”  

A ruling by Judge Ramsey Lama on January 25, 2022, determined that Stanley violated an order to limit pre-trial publicity. 

Chelston’s letter goes on to say that additional research has uncovered “several other cases across the 11th Judicial District where criminals did not receive appropriate sentences and the rights guaranteed to victims of crime in Colorado have been compromised by the hand of the very leadership sworn to protect these victims.” 

A second request for an investigation is still in the intake phase.   

Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper filed two formal complaints against the DA’s office with the Colorado Supreme Court last year, saying that the DA’s office alleged that they were not receiving evidence from law enforcement.     

Cooper told the Daily Record, “Basically, I had an assistant district attorney lie in court and try to shift the blame to my deputies. The found in my favor, but nothing happened.” The allegations upset Cooper to the point that he had a deputy take evidence directly to the judge to let the court know that his office had followed protocol in a timely manner. 

In a request for comment yesterday, Stanley told the Daily Record that she cannot discuss the investigations nor the complaints.