Aurora cop found guilty of violating court order: "Very concerning behavior" says judge
A Denver judge on Tuesday found an Aurora police detective guilty of knowingly violating a court order and sentenced her to 12 months probation with domestic violence evaluation and treatment and also ordered Aurora Police Detective Julie Stahnke to complete 20 hours of public service at a center for victims of domestic violence.
Judge Barry Schwartz said what Stahnke did was "immensely poor judgment" and that as a police officer, Stahnke should have known better.
The criminal charge grew out of a November 2021 altercation between Stahnke and her domestic partner. Stahnke was arrested at the couple's Denver home for domestic violence assault and jailed. Before being released, she was issued a protection order noting she was not to go within 100 yards of the home she shared with her partner. But after getting out of jail, another Aurora police officer, Commander Cassidee Carlson, picked Stahnke up from jail and took her to her home to retrieve her truck. The truck was parked just a few feet from the home.
Schwartz ruled Stahnke was aware of the terms of the protection order "beyond a reasonable doubt." The judge said Stahnke knowingly violated the court order.
"As an officer, Stahnke had a greater obligation to know better," said Schwartz. He also went on to rebuke Commander Carlson for her part in assisting Stahnke in violating the court order.
"These are police officers, and if anyone should know a violation of a protection order and a violation of the law," said Schwartz. He called what the officers did "a bad precedent. I found that to be troubling." He said Carlson "used immensely poor judgment that night."
A CBS News Colorado investigation recently looked into Carlson's participation in the incident and found that an Aurora Police internal affairs investigation found she likely violated at least one department regulation, but interim Chief Dan Oates rejected that recommendation and instead promoted Carlson.
The city attorney representing Denver said in court what Stahnke and Carlson did "sends a very bad message to the community."
Prior to the judge sentencing Stahnke, her ex-wife testified that the trial re-traumatized her.
Stahnke's attorney emphasized that prior to this incident, Stahnke had no criminal history and said she would face professional repercussions. Stahnke was on paid administrative leave for nearly a year, but the department suddenly ordered her back to work Oct. 1 in a non-enforcement role.