The massacre at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, may seem like “old news” to some people in the United States. Certainly, even in Colorado, mass shootings have occurred since Columbine, including the slaughter of movie-goers in Aurora, Colorado, in 2012. With that said, for the families of the students and teacher murdered at Columbine High School in 1999, the horrific incident and its aftermath remains a heart-heavy part of their lives.
Oddly, and inexplicably, a woman named Lily Oeffler actually benefited from her alleged misconduct in the aftermath of the senseless murders at Columbine High School. At the time of the Columbine murders, Lily Oeffler was employed to serve the interests of the people of Jefferson County, Colorado, as an assistant county attorney. Jefferson County is the location of Columbine High School. The families of the children killed at Columbine believe Lily Oeffler seriously failed in fulfilling the duties of her office.
An investigation into the Columbine shootings revealed that Jefferson County law enforcement officials received information about the danger posed by at least one of the killers, Eric Harris, before he went on the high school killing rampage. Within hours after the Columbine murders, Lily Oeffler orchestrated a cover-up of the fact that Jefferson County law enforcement officials were warned about the threat at least one of the shooters posed to innocent people.
Oeffler compounded this misconduct by presenting false information to the court overseeing legal matters associated with the Columbine killings. Specifically, Oeffler was deemed to have lied in court to further the cover-up she orchestrated in the immediate aftermath of the murders.
Perhaps in what can best be described as an act of unbridled arrogance, Lily Oeffler applied for a vacant judgeship in Jefferson County following her egregious conduct in the matter of the Columbine shootings. She was not appointed to the vacancy. Undeterred, Oeffler applied a second time and was yet again denied a judicial appointment.
The third time proved to be a charm for Lily Oeffler. Despite her deplorable misconduct in covering up vital information relating to the murder of innocent children and their teacher, Lily Oeffler finally ended up appointed to the bench in Jefferson County.
The families of the children murdered at Columbine were described as being “aghast” upon hearing of the appointment of Lily Oeffler to the bench. "This is a judge (who) was directly involved and helped to orchestrate the cover-up regarding Columbine," explained Brian Rohrbough whose son was murdered at Columbine. Rohrbough added that Lily Oeffler is “not fit to sit in judgment of anyone."
Another Columbine parent, Randy Brown, stated that the appointment of Oeffler to the bench is a slap in the face to the families of Columbine victims. Indeed, it is an ongoing slap in the face when one considers Oeffler’s performance as a judge.
In fairness, Lily Oeffler does get middling and not failing grades from the Colorado Commission on Judicial Performance. The Commission reports: “When compared to all district judges and all trial judges, Judge Oeffler scored as well as or slightly below the standard of all district judges and all trial judges. It was also noted that there is a perceived prosecution bias both by the attorneys and the non-attorneys.”
Before preparing this essay, I had occasion to observe Lily Oeffler on several occasions while she presided over court proceedings. Sadly, her conduct on the bench demonstrates what is best described as a cavalier approach to her judicial assignment, which underscores the established contention that she is unfit to serve.
Although Oeffler’s conduct in minor civil suits is completely acceptable, her behavior during more serious criminal proceedings bespeaks a breathtaking lack of professionalism. For example, in sentencing proceedings, Oeffler clearly did not review any of the documentation provided to her by the state, defense counsel or the probation department (which makes sentencing recommendations) prior to hearings. She flipped through these materials in one case after another, obviously unconcerned with what anyone associated with the cases recommended in regard to particular defendants.
Perhaps even more inappropriate is how Lily Oeffler behaves in open court between specific cases. Keep in mind the multiple defendants appear before Oeffler at one time in what are called dockets. She is making very serious and significant decisions that impact lives of not only defendants but victims of crime.
Time and time again between cases (with the courtroom filled with defendants, victims and others), Oeffler turns her attention to her computer, giggling at whatever she elects to view. One can only hope she is not reading case-related materials. One can only assume she is reading email jokes or perhaps she is viewing humorous YouTube videos featuring kittens playing with string. No matter what she focuses on, giggling on the bench is indicative of a person who lacks the appropriate decorum and professionalism to serve as a judge.
The people of Colorado have a duty to remove Lily Oeffler from the bench. Under Colorado law, Oeffler is subject to a retention vote. In November 2014, when Lily Oeffler is placed on the ballot, the residents of Jefferson County need to vote “no” on the question of retaining her as a judge. Lily Oeffler was unfit for an appointment to the bench in the first instance and continues to engage in conduct that exemplifies her cavalier approach to and lack of fitness for a judicial office.
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