DENVER (AP) -- The state public defender's office has filed a federal lawsuit over an attempt by Colorado to streamline death penalty appeals.
Under the current system, conviction and post-conviction reviews are handled in a single appeal and can take less than two years to resolve. Previously, the reviews were handled separately and could take many years.
According to the Denver Post, the state legislature adopted the unified process in 1997 in an effort to speed up death-penalty appeals.
Currently, there are three men on death row in Colorado, which hasn't executed anyone in 15 years.
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Information from: The Denver Post
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