The People of the State of Colorado v. Karl Christopher Baker

Summary

The court held that a deputy securities commissioner's expert testimony was inadmissible because she treated disputed prosecution allegations as true, assessed witness credibility, and applied securities law to those disputed facts in a manner that effectively suggested Baker's guilt. The error was not harmless because the witness's expert status, government position, specialized knowledge, and access to information outside the jury's evidence likely caused the jury to credit her conclusions. The court affirmed the court of appeals' judgment and remanded for further proceedings consistent with its opinion.