Lone Tree judge threatens to call ICE on defendant in courtroom

A municipal judge in Lone Tree this summer improperly warned a defendant that the court would report him to federal immigration authorities, an unusual move that drew condemnation from immigrant rights groups and attorneys.

On July 18, Judge Lou Gresch was advising a person accused of shoplifting when he said “we report all illegal immigrants to ICE for deportation because shoplifting is a deportable offense under federal law,” according to records court records reviewed by The Denver Post.

Michelle Achronowitz, a defense attorney in the courtroom that day, said she looked around, unsure if she heard the judge correctly. She said that never in her career had she heard a judge say those words from the bench.

“There was definitely some implicit bias and implicit racism,” she said in an interview. “This was definitely one of the most horrific municipal court cases I’ve had as an attorney.”

Through a city representative, Gresh declined to be interviewed for this article.

In a statement, city officials said Lone Tree is not pursuing immigration authorities with respect to the municipal court defendants. The judge that day must have erred in citing the city’s advice that all defendants understand that a conviction or guilty plea could have consequences for their immigration status, said Melissa Gallegos, a city spokeswoman.

Nicole Cervera Loy, Policy and Campaigns Manager at Colorado Coalition for Immigrant Rightscalled the judge’s words a “gross abuse of judicial power” and said the city should immediately investigate his conduct.

“The actions taken were deeply inappropriate and undermine the justice system,” Loy said. “The courtroom should be a place where justice is served, not a place where people feel fear or dread.”

Several judges and attorneys told The Post they had never heard judges say they would report defendants in the courtroom to immigration authorities.