‘Habitual Offender’ sentenced to 96 years for shooting at Pueblo police
PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - A man deemed a 'habitual offender' was sentenced Friday to 96 years in the Colorado Department of Correction (DOC) for an incident in 2021 during which he shot at, and was shot by Pueblo police officers.
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According to the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office (PCSO), 44-year-old James Justice was found guilty in July of charges including four counts of attempted first-degree murder, four counts of first-degree assault, and four counts of reckless endangerment.
Justice was sentenced to 24 years on each of the four attempted first-degree murder charges, the sheriff's office said.
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According to Pueblo police, James Justice exchanged gunfire with officers during an incident in January of 2021. At the time, he was out on bond for assault on a peace officer. During the exchange of gunfire, Justice was hit in the leg and then taken into custody. No officers were injured in the shooting.
RELATED: Colorado Supreme Court strikes down Pueblo Co. judge’s mediation order for violent offender
During the two years following his arrest, James Justice's case was at the center of a legal battle between a sitting district judge and the Pueblo County District Attorney. The Colorado Supreme Court would eventually strike down a mediation order issued by Pueblo County District Judge Allison Ernst.
Justice has been in the Pueblo County Jail since his arrest in 2021.
