Masters case detective Broderick makes first court appearance - The Denver Post

Masters case detective Broderick makes first court appearance - The Denver Post

FORT COLLINS — Fort Collins Police Lt. Jim Broderick, accused of felony perjury related to his work in the Tim Masters murder investigation, this morning was advised of his rights in a Larimer County court room.

Broderick hobbled into district court on crutches and told visiting Weld County District Judge James Hartmann that he understood his rights as an accused felon.

He could also have been arraigned, but his attorney Patrick Tooley asked Hartmann for additional time to review more than 3,300 pages of evidence in the case as well as various CDs and DVDs related to the case.

Broderick spent about 10 minutes in front of Hartmann.

An unfriendly crowd, including Masters' family and people connected to Judicial Justice for Larimer County, filled the two rows behind him.

"I have no special feelings of hate toward Broderick," said John Masters, Tim Masters' uncle. "I just think he's a piece of slime. He'd done a disservice to a lot of good police officers out there."

Broderick was indicted by a Larimer County grand jury last month on eight counts of felony perjury for his role in building a case against Tim Masters. Masters was convicted in 1998 of mutiliating and killing Peggy Hettrick in 1987.

But in 2008, a visiting judge overturned Masters' conviction after ruling that new DNA results pointed to another suspect in Hettrick's killing. Masters was released from prison after serving 10 years. The two prosecutors in the case — Jolene Blair and Terence Gilmore — have been censured by an arm of the Colorado Supreme Court for their role in the case.

Blair and Gilmore are now Larimer District Court judges and are standing for retention.

Hartmann was named visiting judge in the case since Blair and Gilmore may be called as witnesses if a criminal case proceeds.

Judicial Justice for Larimer County is lobbying against the retention of Blair and Gilmore, and several members of the group joined the Masters family outside of the Larimer courthouse to bash both judges and Broderick.

"This is historic to break down the big blue wall," said Judicial Justice's Carol Davy. "You know police protect their own, but not this time."

Grand jurors claimed Broderick — who has been put on paid administrative leave — fabricated evidence to convict Masters.

There was no physical evidence linking Masters to Hettrick. Her murder remains unsolved.

Broderick, meanwhile, faces a second internal police investigation into his conduct during the Masters probe, said Fort Collins Police spokeswoman Rita Davis. An internal investigation cleared Broderick in 2008 after Masters was released from prison.

But after the grand jury indictment, Fort Collins Police Chief Dennis Harrison decided enough new evidence has been produced to conduct a second internal probe, Davis said.

Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck, named special prosecutor in the case, also initially cleared Broderick. But Buck re-opened the case against Broderick after new evidence was produced by the FBI and from a lawsuit brought by Masters' lawyers.

Masters has settled with Larimer County and Fort Collins for a total of $10 million.