Senate Bill 25-065, introduced in the Colorado General Assembly, aims to clarify the financial responsibilities of public entities in civil judgments involving peace officers. Key provisions of the bill include:
Indemnification Limitations: Public entities are not required to pay any portion of a civil judgment or settlement if the peace officer's conduct leading to the judgment results in a criminal conviction.
Employer Causation Exception: If the public entity's actions or inactions played a causal role in the violation, the entity may still be held financially responsible, even if the officer is criminally convicted.
This bill seeks to delineate the circumstances under which public entities are obligated to indemnify peace officers, particularly emphasizing situations involving criminal convictions.
Summary
The bill clarifies that a public entity is not required to pay any
portion of the civil judgment or settlement if the peace officer's underlying conduct resulted in the peace officer's criminal conviction, unless the public entity played a causal role in the violation.
