Dunlap Case News Today

Political fortunes would come to rest on his decision. >> were going to have an election in 2014 where one of the questions is, do we want to kill this one person? >> the case sparked a raging debate over capital punishment and posed the question, what should be done with societys most heinous criminals? >> the death penalty encompasses the most highly emotional issues for all of us. its life and death. its justice. all that stuff comes back together on trying to decide what we do with the worst...

We happen to have three african-american men who are on death row for the same thing. cold-blooded murder. and in my view, it has nothing to do with race. it has everything to do about murder. >> over the next few years, rhonda fields would continue to be an important voice in favor of capital punishment. especially because the dunlap case was about to remerge in the headlines. after nearly 20 years of court proceedings, nathans defense team was running out of options. in 2012, the tenth circuit...

>> during the time rhonda was pushing for death for her sons killers, nathan dunlap continued to work on his appeals. >> this was not a chance to proof that he was innocent, to set dunlap free. the focus was on his mental health and any other mitigating factors that could have gone into a jurys decision about whether he should be put to death. >> nathan dunlaps attorneys make a pretty powerful case about bipolarity saying this was not properly explored. in the original case. >> by 2006, prison d...

When the death penalty is subjected to an election, whether a gubernatorial, in this case nathan dunlap, or a ballot measure, we are saying essentially that the emotions of the mob should rule. >> certain things are simply not up for a popular vote, and i believe whether someone lives or dies should be one of those things. >> you know, it goes back to public stonings and lynchings, you know, we dont have mob justice. >> in early 2014, a poll showed that a majority of coloradans still supported t...

Support in the colorado legislature. >> the effort to repeal the death penalty in colorado came from the fact that there is a budget crisis, and the death penalty is a huge money drain. theres one estimate that the nathan dunlap case has cost the state $18 million. >> its absolutely more expensive to handle a death case because of the time it takes and the appeals going forth for 20 years. >> how can we better use resources to be more effective? >> in addition to its high cost, supporters of the...

And so from there, i was tapped to run for office, and i did. and i won. >> rhonda was elected to represent aurora in the state legislature. she won in a landslide. >> rhonda fields becomes a leader on two issues. one, for gun control. very, very, very pro-gun control. two, shes very pro-death penalty. >> during the time rhonda was pushing for death for her sons killers, nathan dunlaps lawyers continued to work on his appeals. >> this was not a chance to proof that he was innocent, to set dunlap...

African-american men who are on death row for the same thing. cold-blooded murder. and in my view, it has nothing to do with race. it has everything to do about murder. >> over the next few years, rhonda fields would continue to be an important voice in favor of capital punishment. especially because the dunlap case was about to remerge in the headlines. after nearly 20 years of court proceedings, nathans defense team was running out of options. in 2012, the tenth circuit court rejected his fina...

Rescind the order. when the death penalty is subjected to an election, whether a gubernatorial, in this case nathan dunlap, or a ballot measure, we are saying essentially that the emotions of the mob should rule. >> certain things are simply not up for a popular vote, and i believe whether someone lives or dies should be one of those things. >> you know, it goes back to public stonings and lynchings, you know, we dont have mob justice. >> in early 2014, a poll showed that a majority of coloradan...

>> the dunlap case arose in arapaho county, part of the 18th judicial district which is in colorado, is now and has been in the past in love with the death penalty. >> by the time the trial beghaen 1996, the verdict seemed to be a foregone conclusion. >> the trial then essentially becomes about whether what nathan dunlap did is deserving of the death penalty. >> in fact, before trial, nathans defense team made an offer to the state. nathan would plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. >> i...

My son, it was the most devastating event that i have ever experienced in my life. i was very, very angry. i was very upset. and so i went straight to the police department and started asking questions. >> javad had witnessed a friends murder at a barbecue the summer before, and despite receiving death threats, javad had decided to testify in court against the accused killer. >> he felt like it was the right thing to do because he saw his best friend get shot down in cold blood. >> javad was mur...