Roberts’ witness protection bill passes Colorado House

The Colorado House of Representatives can still agree on some things. In this case, a recent bill co-sponsored by Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon, that aims to help investigators solve crimes and prevent witness intimidation passed unanimously by a vote of 64-0 Tuesday.

Roberts sponsored the bill along with Matt Soper, R-Delta.

“No one should get away with intimidating a witness or pressuring someone to withhold critical information from law enforcement,” Roberts said in a press release. “We’re doing everything we can to protect victims in Colorado, and this bill is a big step in that effort. (Senate Bill 24) will give law enforcement and prosecutors additional tools to stop crimes and hold criminals accountable.”

The bill originated in the Colorado Senate where it was sponsored by Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, and John Cooke, R-Greeley. It passed through the Senate, also unanimously, by a vote of 33 to 0 on Feb. 9.

If signed into law, the bill would prevent witness intimidation and help investigators solve crimes by amending preexisting state statute to expand the definition of witness intimidation.

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Under the new bill, witness intimidation would include a “threat or act” that is “directed at a person the perpetrator believes may have information relevant to a criminal investigation” or “a person the perpetrator believes may be able to exert influence upon a witness or victim,” according to the text of the bill.

It also allows prosecutors to charge the crime of intimidating a witness if the perpetrator attempts to persuade a witness to withhold information “or provide false information to law enforcement, a defense attorney, or defense investigator,” according to the bill.

Email Kelli Duncan at kduncan@vaildaily.com