Murder charge dropped for ‘gross negligence’ by Fremont County District Attorney’s Office
FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Fremont County Judge Kaitlin Turner has dropped first-degree murder charges against Joseph Tippet because of ongoing discovery violations by 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley's office.
Tippet will now face 2nd-degree murder in the shooting death of his father.
In Colorado, the difference between first-degree and second-degree murder charges is significant. First-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. Second-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 48 years with parole eligibility at 50 percent of time served.
Joseph Tippet is accused of shooting his father, William Tippet, in the back of the head in January. He was charged with first-degree murder, but for more than two months the defense has alleged they only received one-tenth of the evidence from the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Over the last several weeks, 13 Investigates has uncovered 33 separate criminal cases with allegations of discovery violations in them.
Of the 33 cases where the DA’s office violated Rule 16, 13 Investigates confirmed five were entirely dismissed. Those include two child sexual assault cases, a murder case, a child porn case, and a strangulation case.
13 Investigates has reached out to Linda Stanley more than a dozen times for comment. She has never responded to our requests.
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