Affair kicked off troubles for Montrose County DA - The Denver Post

Affair kicked off troubles for Montrose County DA - The Denver Post

MONTROSE — Whether 7th Judicial District Attorney Myrl Serra is guilty of official-misconduct and felony sex charges is not yet determined.

But Montrose County Court documents show Serra has been embroiled in ugly legal skirmishes relating to a volatile on-again, off-again relationship he began with a married woman nine years ago.

Two women on three occasions have tried unsuccessfully to secure restraining orders against Serra, 48. Three judges and magistrates in Montrose denied those protection orders, ruling there was not enough evidence of danger to the women or to the young child of one of them.

The Montrose County Sheriff's Office was also contacted three times in 2008 by Serra's former girlfriend, Doris McCauley. She asked for two of the restraining orders, complaining Serra wouldn't stop calling or sending unwanted cards and gifts. No action was taken by the Sheriff's Office, which did not return phone calls seeking information about the complaints.

Ongoing investigation

Authorities haven't revealed whether any of Serra's problems with McCauley are related to his arrest Thursday on suspicion of unlawful sexual contact, indecent exposure and official misconduct. The documents detailing those alleged crimes have been sealed because of an ongoing investigation by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation undertaken at the request of Gov. Bill Ritter.

McCauley has refused to comment on the criminal investigation except to say that she has spoken to the Colorado Attorney General's Office. Neither Serra nor Andrew Peters, the attorney representing him in his dispute with McCauley, could be reached for comment Monday.

In a 2006 letter to Serra's attorney included in court documents, McCauley claims she has "facts" that could hurt Serra professionally. She wrote that letter in response to a letter from Serra's attorney accusing her of making slanderous statements about Serra being involved with a married woman.

McCauley alleged in the letter that Serra confessed to her that he committed crimes while he was a college student in Arizona. There is no record of charges ever being brought against Serra in Arizona. She also wrote that Serra often shared confidential information with her about cases being prosecuted in his office, including a DUI case against her ex-husband. She alleged he used county and state property for personal use and that the couple engaged in sex in his office. She said Serra twice forced her into sex acts.

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