The People of the State of Colorado, Plaintiff-Appellant v. Sir Mario Owens, Defendant-Appellee

Summary

The court held that the statute governing unitary review in death-penalty cases does not itself impose an absolute two-year deadline or prohibit extensions beyond that period. Instead, it directs the supreme court to adopt procedural rules implementing an expedited review process, and the applicable rule permits extensions for extraordinary circumstances that could not have been foreseen and prevented. The court therefore reversed the district court’s partial invalidation of the statute and remanded for further proceedings consistent with its opinion.