WEEK OF JULY 6, 2023
VOLUME 78 | ISSUE 37
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State courts strike down unlimited time for abuse claims Legislature had hoped to extend statute of limitations for victims BY JESSE PAUL AND ELLIOTT WENZLER THE COLORADO SUN
Kulmann, for her part, is concerned about it and alleges that Namazi is trying to hurt her political image and that sometimes Namazi’s actions have left her feeling scared. Namazi has made himself seen at events around town – and in the garb of a pro-MAGA supporter, acting like the mayor’s biggest fan. He touts former President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” and his Danny Kulmann name as he shadows Mayor Kulmann on the campaign trail seeking reelection to what would be a final term in the office.
When a group of Colorado lawmakers in 2020 sought to end the state’s statute of limitations for lawsuits in child sex assault cases, some victims and victims’ advocates wanted them to try to go even further. Their request was that Colorado give victims of abuse for whom the statute of limitations had expired a window to sue not only their abusers, but also organizations that shielded the perpetrators or negligently allowed the abuse to continue. The nonpartisan Office of Legislative Legal Services, which offers state lawmakers legal advice, said such a window would violate the state’s constitution, which prohibits the General Assembly from reviving a claim for which the statute of limitations has run out. It turns out that opinion held merit. The Colorado Supreme Court last week struck down the part of Senate Bill 88, a law passed by the legislature in 2021, giving victims of child sex abuse dating back to the 1960s a threeyear window starting on Jan. 1, 2022, to file lawsuits against their abusers and the institutions or organizations that failed to stop the abuse. The high court’s decision was unanimous.
SEE NAMAZI, P8
SEE LEGISLATURE, P10
Thornton political activist Dan Namazi, who identifies in public as Danny Kulmann, waves a sign at Adams County’s Pride festival June 10. The activist attends public events and meetings in an effort to draw attention Mayor Jan Kulmann, but Kulmann PHOTO BY SCOTT TAYLOR said she’s not flattered by his attention.
Alias, allegations of harassment on Thornton’s campaign trail Mayoral ‘admirer’ causes fear among some on City Council BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The front door at a house off Thornton’s 118t2h Avenue has three signs. On top is a woodcut that displays the name “Namazi” proudly. Directly underneath are two campaign signs. One signals support for City Council candidate Roberta
Ayala. The other backs mayoral candidate Julia Marvin. The man behind that door, Dariush Namazi, says the signs aren’t his. “That’s all my wife’s stuff,” Namazi said. Namazi is better known by another name, Danny Kulmann, in political circles and on social media. It turns out that’s the same last name as Mayor Jan Kulmann, though he’s not related. And, it seems like an odd coincidence coming from the man behind the door that has a sign supporting Kulmann’s adversary in the mayor’s race.
VOICES: 12 | LIFE: 14 | CALENDAR: 17 | SPORTS: 22
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