Courts/Crime

WELD COUNTY — During the Feb. 27 board meeting, the Weld County Commissioners recognized Margie Martinez of the Weld County Sheriff’s Office for her 34 years of service to the county.

Martinez, who officially retired from the Sheriff’s Office earlier this month, returned for the presentation ceremony where she was awarded a plaque by the board.

“You have left your fingerprints on Weld County,” said Commissioner Douglas Rademacher, “and you will be missed.”

Alleging improper conduct on the part of city police officers past and present, a Fort Lupton family has filed suit in federal court, naming the city as a defendant.

In addition to the city, the suit also names three previous police officers for the department: Crystal Schwartz, Jason Verkuyl, and David Hempel. Also named is the department’s current Community Service Officer, Mary Albee, and two unnamed defendants listed as John and Jane Doe.

GREELEY -- A Fort Lupton woman accused of providing alcohol to a houseful of teenagers escaped jail time last week, the result of a plea deal with prosecutors.
    Felicia Lynn Gabel, 40, faces three years of probation, 180 hours of community service and participation in a parenting class as the result of charges following a party at her home in Oct. 2011. During that party, Gabel allegedly supplied alcohol to a multitude of underage drinkers, collecting money from the partygoers and leaving at one point to purchase more liquor, according to police affidavits associated with the case.

Reading like a who’s who of Fort Lupton, a slew of defendants face a civil rights lawsuit, including the city, the police department and the entire Weld RE-8 school board.

In a Weld County District Court filing dated June 19, a mother and father allege that 13 entities or individuals violated their rights and those of their minor child following an incident in April 2011 at Butler Elementary School.