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October 28, 2004
Lopez judge asked to step aside
Lawyers for Rick Lopez, the 36-year-old former coach of the Colorado Hoopsters girls basketball team facing more than 50 felony counts of alleged sexual assault on three of his former players, have delayed his preliminary hearing, which was scheduled for today.
Lopez faces 55 felony charges of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust or pattern of abuse, three counts of misdemeanor third-degree assault and one count of misdemeanor child abuse. He was arrested in August on a sealed warrant in Syracuse, N.Y., where he was allegedly attempting to contact a former player.
At the hearing Judge Michelle Marker was to decide if the evidence gathered by investigators and prosecutors with the 18th Judicial District meets the threshold of probable cause required to move the case against Lopez to trial.
Instead, a yet-to-be-scheduled hearing will address a new defense motion asking Judge Marker step aside from the case, said Mike Knight, spokesman for the 18th Judicial District.
Public Defender Kathy McGuire, who represented Lopez at a Sept. 1 bond reduction hearing, said Tuesday she was not at liberty to confirm the filing of the recusal motion, discuss its implications or confirm if she is still representing Lopez.
Lopez, a Castle Rock resident, is being held in Douglas County Jail on a $500,000 bond, upheld by Judge Marker at a Sept. 1 bond reduction hearing.
During that hearing, Deputy District Attorney Darren Vahle said the former coach was arrested in Syracuse while allegedly stalking a former Hoopster player. He also said an alleged victim's father had indicated to prosecutors his daughter feared Lopez should he be released on bond.
At the same hearing McGuire argued her client's bond should be reduced because he is neither a flight risk nor a threat to the community. Lopez's father also spoke on his son's behalf and said he and his wife would supervise their son if he posted bond.
Although the Douglas County Sheriff's Office first began investigating Lopez in July 2003, his arrest in August was sparked by one of his former players coming forward, DCSO Lt. Tim Moore has said. The alleged victims, from Douglas Arapahoe and Jefferson counties, were as young as 13 when the abuse allegedly began in 1998.
Posted by Nealus at October 28, 2004 12:19 PM
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