I am the pro se plaintiff in McCracken v. State of Colorado, et al., U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Case No. 25-cv-02028, naming Governor Jared Polis, Attorney General Phil Weiser, and other state actors for systemic civil-rights violations, suppression of complaints, and failure to act after repeated notice.
To date, I have documented and filed 46 separate civil-rights complaints involving Montrose County, Colorado and the 7th Judicial District — which spans Montrose, Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Ouray, and San Miguel counties. These are not isolated events — new complaints continue to come in almost daily, all tied to this same judicial district.
Patterns I have documented include:
Retaliatory judicial actions — including the use of ex parte proceedings to alter case outcomes without the affected party present, selective enforcement of rules and deadlines against certain litigants, and judicial orders that appear designed to punish individuals for exercising their legal rights, rather than to resolve matters fairly.
Suppression of legitimate grievances — complaints ignored, delayed, or closed without investigation across multiple state and local agencies.
Family-court abuses — forced homelessness of litigants, displacement of children to abusers, ex parte orders without due process, and procedural tactics to destabilize targeted parties.
Improper prosecutorial placement — the current deputy district attorney overseeing numerous cases is the daughter of the former county coroner, placed into the DA’s office with the apparent backing of the current sheriff. The coroner’s office has not been held accountable for past actions, and this prosecutorial appointment raises serious concerns over conflicts of interest in pending and past cases.
Public-safety failures and cover-ups — including deaths ruled suicides despite contradictory witness accounts, botched missing-person investigations, and questionable evidence handling.
Financial manipulation — allegations of serial bankruptcies within the judicial district to ensure selective job placement and shield assets.
Gag order overuse — the sheer number of gag orders issued in Montrose County is unprecedented, silencing victims, litigants, and witnesses to a degree that is both extraordinary and deeply troubling.
Law enforcement instability — the Montrose County Sheriff’s Office cannot retain deputies, resulting in constant turnover and instability. The 7th Judicial District faces a growing number of lawsuits against law enforcement officers, including actions in San Miguel County.
City and county dysfunction — repeated administrative problems, inability to fill key positions, and a recent inability to replace a county commissioner after his sudden death. Government offices were shut down for his funeral, raising questions about taxpayer accountability for paid time during the closure. Montrose City itself cannot retain a city manager willing to stay.
Civil-rights settlements and payouts — Montrose City and County have paid out taxpayer funds in multiple civil-rights suits, including high-profile cases such as the John Goodman matter, yet patterns of misconduct remain unaddressed.
Media suppression — despite documented public interest, multiple Western Slope and statewide outlets have refused to publish or fully investigate these matters. Some media outlets have outright declined coverage for fear of retaliation.
These patterns are supported by sworn declarations, certified records, and direct witness statements. The relevant federal filings are a matter of public record in the D.C. court docket.
This is not a historic problem — it is happening right now. The continuing flow of complaints from this judicial district, combined with entrenched conflicts of interest, intimidation, and misuse of court powers, represents a systemic threat to civil rights, transparency, and the rule of law.
I urge the press, civil-rights organizations, oversight agencies, and elected officials to investigate, publish, and act. The citizens of Montrose County — and all six counties of the 7th Judicial District — deserve a justice system free from corruption, retaliation, and suppression.
Respectfully,
Lynn M. McCracken
Montrose, CO