Opinion ID: 2499764
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Petitioner's Conviction

Text: In the early evening of September 4, 2004, Petitioner was driving his car northbound on South Colorado Boulevard, having traveled from his sister-in-law's house, where he had spent the afternoon alone watching a football game and consuming the equivalent of several gin and tonics. [4] When he decided to stop at a local grocery store on his way home, he turned left toward the store's parking lot and in front of oncoming traffic in the southbound lanes. As he executed the turn, a southbound motorcycle collided with the rear right panel of Petitioner's vehicle. The motorcycle was driven by Kristopher Mansfield (Mansfield), a twenty-three year-old senior airman with the United States Air Force who had recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. After the impact, Petitioner pulled his vehicle into the parking lot out of the way of oncoming traffic, and then returned to check on Mansfield, supine in the roadway. Petitioner left Mansfield's side ten minutes later, when other people arrived to provide care, and was soon thereafter arrested at the scene. Denver police tested Petitioner's blood alcohol level from a blood sample. An initial test indicated Petitioner's blood alcohol content was 0.217, and a second test showed a blood alcohol content of 0.198. [5] Upon Petitioner's arrest, a restraining order was entered, prohibiting him from contacting Mansfield or his relatives. [6] Mansfield was taken to Denver Health Medical Center and was later pronounced dead at 4:45 p.m. on September 6, 2004. Of this awful tragedy Petitioner recalled, I was so overwhelmed by grief and the loss of life and my role in it that I didn't sleep for the first four days [after the accident]. . . . I couldn't stop crying . . . I couldn't believe that I engaged in conduct that brought this kind of harm to another human being. Petitioner testified that since September 4, 2004, he has abstained from consuming alcohol. Between October 2004 and September 2005, Petitioner sought treatment at Arapahoe House, an alcohol rehabilitation program, for anxiety, depressed mood, and feelings of guilt, remorse, and grief. [7] His treatment there included education about substance abuse, relapse and recidivism, and stress management. [8] Petitioner also joined Colorado Lawyers Helping Lawyers (CLHL), a peer support group for attorneys who experience problems with alcohol or substance abuse or suffer from mental health problems. Through CLHL, Petitioner was referred to Peer Assistance Services, Inc., where he received additional treatment beginning in February 2005. [9] During this period, Petitioner wound down his law practice, choosing not to accept new cases for fear he would not be able to complete work on those matters prior to conclusion of his own criminal case. [10] On September 29, 2005, Petitioner entered a guilty plea to vehicular homicide/DUI, a class three felony, in violation of C.R.S. § 18-3-106(1)(b)(I). [11] On December 2, 2005, he was sentenced to eight years in the custody of the Department of Corrections and five years of mandatory parole. [12] He was taken into custody the same day.