Woman Charged For Leaking Affidavit In Letecia Stauch Case
ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - An Adams County woman faces a charge of criminal misconduct after prosecutors say she leaked an affidavit in a high profile murder case out of El Paso County. The woman who leaked the document works at the Brighton City Attorney's Office. She's since be placed on administrative leave.
The lead prosecutor in the Letecia Stauch case addressed media on Tuesday afternoon.
Prosecutors say they had planned on releasing the affidavit to the public after first showing it to the Stauch family.
"By that night it was already leaked on line. That's how I found out about it. I got a call from somebody with the FBI and said the family just called them saying the affidavit is online," said Senior Deputy District Attorney Michael Allen. "We obviously wanted to talk to the family before it was leaked and show them the document and answer their questions. But, they were deprived of that opportunity and that's the worst part of this whole thing. It violated respect that they should be shown as victims in this case."
Stauch is charged in the murder of her 11-year-old stepson, Gannon Stauch. He disappeared in late January, and his body was found in Florida in March.
Allen spoke about the possibility of any motions being denied, or any other ramifications to the case. He says he's not aware of anything being dismissed as a result of the leaked document.
"It's not something we want to see happen. And I get it, I understand a case like this... why the public and people online would want to have access to information. Everybody wants to know what happened, and I can understand that part of it, but we also have to protect the integrity of the case. That's my biggest concern."
He added inappropriate behavior on the prosecution's side would result in a case being dismissed, but he's not aware of such an act.
Allen says there is a preliminary hearing scheduled for early June.
"That will be our first opportunity to present evidence to the judge to show we have enough evidence to go towards trial."
