Post Mortem (literally)--Disgraced Former Denver City Attorney

What made this guy's career so distinguished in the first place? Sure, husband and friends. Was he a father? Maybe a step-father. But distinguished? Cole Finegan--that's distinguished. All that Harvard Law School graduate stuff. Came back to Denver and couldn't quite make partner, we suppose. Then just one of many career district court judges. And, then, he accepted the position of Denver City Attorney. Finally the fast track, huh? Is THIS supposed to be a great career move? It took months to find a sucker for that job. Herding those bunch of cats on the 11th and 12th floor. Accepting that job was the first clue that just maybe he wasn't all that distinguished. Here are some comments from a Rocky article that seem germane:

Why the "distiguished career" headlines. This judge just wasn't that great. He made no important rulings; he didn't help the poor, or work hard to change the docket. He sucked up to the silk stocking lawyers during hearings like he was looking for a job. He was a mid-level judge, at best, who could not even get motions resolved in a year. Thank goodness there is only one other Denver judge left that is so pompus and shallow - Mike Martinez.

Having spent time visiting a college roommate during his spell at Harvard's law school, Larry's travails are a sharp reminder of the exquisite arrogance and entitlement many of the law students displayed in their everyday lives. Although I wish Larry no harm, his arrogant bearing in and around the court house was a constant reminder of his alma mater; it is simply not believable he would condescend to interact with someone he didn't know in the parking lots adjacent to the City County Building -- he did so only with great difficulty in the confines of the courthouse. Please also consider the toxic effects of Harvard trained lawyers )and MBAs) throughout the economy and the polity. Sign me Denver Trial Lawyer.

And, from the Rocky on June 14:

Manzanares' name was linked to a case involving two stolen laptops in 2005, reports Jeff Kass.
When two state court computers were stolen in 2005, a now familiar name popped up: Larry Manzanares. Both of the stolen computers were taken in the month of July - one during the July Fourth weekend.
One was taken out of an unnamed judge's chambers, and the other was taken out of a locked storage area in Room 39 of the Denver City and County Building, the same area from which the laptop was probably taken this year.
"The (2005) thefts coincided with the process involved when transferring courtrooms," according to the affidavit. "In the reports documenting those two thefts, Lawrence Manzanares' name was identified as a judge who was either being moved or was having equipment installed."
The affidavit says the computers were never issued to Manzanares. It does not mention whether any other people were named in connection with their disappearance.
The Rocky's editorial says the indictment of Manzanares is an implicit rebuke of of the state court administrator's office which had attempted to quash the prosecution.

Perhaps this guy felt entitled to take the occasional laptop. We can all relate to that, can't we? Harvard grads are entitled. He did so much good; who's going to care? But that laughable story of buying the thing out of some guy's trunk. It took a healthy heap of arrogance combined with studipity to think that that dog would hunt. The truth. It's the cover-up that got him. He was nailed by one or more insiders for stealing the laptop. There are people out there who know the truth. Maybe one of those assistant city attorney cats that got passed over and was pissed off. All he did, really, was steal the equivalent of several (gross) pens. Felony theft. Big deal. Not something heinous, like getting caught in flagrante delecto in the Quiet Room! Or, raiding the break room refrigerators. Had he just confessed (mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa) then maybe, just maybe, he takes a bit of heat and Hick lets it blow over. And the City gets to keep its affirmative action City Attorney hire.

But that doesn't excuse the Rocky and the Jeffco DA for being way too over the top on this. Maybe because he was such an easy target. Or, maybe that Jeffco DA was another one like that guy in the Duke case. Who knows. And that one article quoting all the defense lawyers about how Manzanares was washed up even if found not guilty. I wonder how sweet that payback looks now after his suicide. I wonder what the suicide rate is for Harvard Law School Graduates? This one probably spiked it not a little bit. Not even to mention the suicide rate for former City and County employees.

Suicide is a tough topic. The only ones you hear about in the news are public figures, like Manzanares, or Vincent Foster. Otherwise, a gag order is in place, understandably. Families don't want that taboo publicized. But it also means that suicide is not thought about nearly enough. Review all the articles, comments, et cetera that preceeded the suicide and you'll not find one that worried about the possibility that Manzanares might check out and put the matter to rest permanently.

It's all speculation, of course. One reads that he took several trips with his wife. Get in a little pleasure before carrying out the plan? We can relate to that. We don't want to live with a DUI conviction from Vegas from last summer. We didn't have to let the DUI thing engulf us, but we did.

"There is only one truly important philosophical question, and that is the matter of suicide."---Camus