Charges against Colorado couple accused of killing baby dismissed because of district attorney's comments

A Colorado couple charged in the death of a 10-month-old have had the charges against them dismissed because of comments Fremont County District Attorney Linda Stanley made to a news station in Colorado Springs.

A judge found Stanley violated the couple's rights after she gave an interview to KRDO-TV in 2023 where she made inflammatory statements about William Jacobs, the man accused of killing the baby, and Brook Crawford, the child's mother who was charged with contributing to the child's death.

Stanley told the news station about Jacobs: "I'm going to be very blunt here. He has zero investment in this child. Zero. He's watching that so he can get laid. That's it. And have a place to sleep. I'm sorry to be that blunt, but honest to God, that's what's going on."

About the couple's attitude toward the baby, Stanley said: "Without the caring factor, without the love factor, the baby is a pain in the ass."

And about Brook Crawford, Stanley said "She's got a live-in now. She doesn't have to worry about anything."

CBS News Colorado legal analyst and former District Attorney Karen Steinhauser says that when it comes to talking to the media, all lawyers, but especially district attorneys, need to be careful what they say.

"All the rules are designed to make sure that people get a fair trial," said Steinhauser. "There are certain ethical obligations that the prosecutor has. And so much of that has to do with making sure that everyone involved in the criminal justice system has a right to a fair trial, you know, and the justice is served."

Now all charges against Crawford and Jacobs have been dismissed because a judge found that those statements tainted the jury pool in Fremont County.

Steinhauser says when something like this happens, the whole community pays the price.

"The number one thing that the prosecutor is elected to do is to do justice. And when they're alleged to do things that interfere with justice being served with- interfere with a defendant's right to have a fair trial, all of those things affect, not just defendants, but the victims," said Steinhauser.

Court records show Jacobs was initially charged with child abuse causing serious bodily injury and two months later, was charged with child abuse causing death and first-degree murder. Crawford was charged with child abuse causing injury and child abuse causing serious bodily injury.

This isn't the first time Stanley has gotten in trouble for statements she made to the media. In 2023, she made statements about the Suzanne Morphew case to true crime show hosts while also failing to disclose critical evidence to the defense in the case. For that, and these new accusations, she is facing a disciplinary hearing that's set to start on June 10.