Dep. county attorney pleads not guilty

Requests trial by jury, case set for June

Deputy county attorney Art Trezise has pleaded not guilty to three felonies and a misdemeanor for allegedly tipping off the friend of a suspect last summer that a search warrant had been issued and authorities were headed to the suspect’s home in Crested Butte South.
Authorities intended to look for evidence related to an illegal grow operation that was noted alongside a police report for a sexual assault case reported at the home. That sexual assault is now part of a separate case in which Crested Butte South resident Kendall Collins is defending himself.

The search warrant was executed at Collins’ home on May 14 and signs of a sophisticated grow operation were discovered. Planters were filled with what appeared to be newly planted flowers and vegetables. That led to a statement from a witness in the case that Trezise had telephoned the witness and suggested he warn Collins his property would soon be searched.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation and Trezise’s attorney, Christopher Decker, are working out an agreement regarding a warrant to extract information from Trezise’s cell phone. Decker argues that his client, as a deputy county attorney, has attorney-client privileges that are protected by confidentiality rules.
Trezise faces one felony for tampering with a witness and two felonies for being an accessory to a crime, plus one misdemeanor charge for official misconduct. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and asked for his trial to be held before a jury. That request was granted. The trial is slated to begin June 22.