(Also posted on the Huffington Post at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nathan-woodliffstanley-/michael-marshalls-death-a_b_8940498.html)
Michael Marshall died last November at the Denver jail from injuries he received under the custody of Denver Sheriff deputies. Earlier today, his death was ruled a homicide by the City coroner's office. In addition to serious questions about use of force and why another unarmed person of color has died at the hands of Denver law enforcement, his case illustrates several systemic deficiencies of our criminal justice system, both in Denver and nationwide.
Jailing the Poor: It is worth asking why Mr. Marshall was in custody in the first place. Mr. Marshall was arrested on a nonviolent charge of trespassing, and he was held on a supposedly nominal $100 bond. A bond that low indicates that he was not considered a risk to the community if released. Many people would easily bail out for that amount, but for those who are living in extreme poverty, it might as well be a million dollar bond. Clearly, Mr. Marshall could not afford to post bond, and that lack of access to just $100 cost him his freedom and ultimately his life.
At any given time, the majority of people in our jails are not there because of conviction for a crime. They are being held in pre-trial detention, most often leading to a plea bargain for time served in order to be released. Most of them are poor. If nominal bonds are given to people deemed to be a low risk, why not release them on personal recognizance instead of setting a financial threshold that presents a barrier only to people without money?
Lack of Mental Health Support: Marshall suffered from a mental illness that may have played a role in his arrest and detention. Too many people with mental illnesses are funneled into our jails and prisons. There is still inadequate mental health care both in our communities and in the criminal justice system, and law enforcement officers are often inadequately trained in how to interact with people who have a mental illness.
Racial Disparities: Once again, a person of color has died from an encounter with law enforcement. Whether there is conscious racial bias or not, the fact remains that black men and other people of color are much more likely to be arrested, incarcerated and killed by police than whites, and the difference is not in proportion to underlying rates of criminal behavior.
Lack of Transparency and Accountability: Denver has thus far refused to publicly release video showing exactly how Michael Marshall was injured and died in custody. And the track record of law enforcement accountability for use of excessive or deadly force is abysmal, both in Denver and across this nation. Denver has paid millions in settlements, but it has been decades since the Denver District Attorney's office has indicted law enforcement personnel for excessive force or homicide.
Our jails and prisons continue to be filled not in proportion to who actually commits serious crimes, but disproportionately with people who are poor, people living with mental illness, and people of color, at great personal cost to those who are jailed and their families, and at great financial cost to all of us who pay for crowded prisons and jails. No country puts more people behind bars than the United States, and it isn't because we have the most criminal population in the world. Jail time is an over-used and often counter-productive tool in this nation and state, and it is time for reforms to end costly mass incarceration.

Join us for a Celebration of Bruce’s Life on Saturday, February 6^th, at 2 p.m. at the Parkhill United Church of Christ, 2600 Leyden St.

Bruce Weimer Sattler died Dec. 2 of complications following surgery for pancreatic cancer. He was predeceased by the love of his life and partner for 42 years, Martha Earle Sattler, who died earlier this year on June 7. Bruce is survived by his loving sister Marylee Caldwell (husband Jim), and his adored niece, Tracy. He also left behind his dog Harry S. – one in a long line of dogs named in honor of civil rights and civil liberties heroes and principles.
Sattler was born in South Gate, Calif. and grew up in Santa Monica, California in a blue-collar family. He attended Stanford University undergraduate and law school on scholarships. He joined Holland & Hart in Denver in 1969 and became a partner in 1975. He left Holland & Hart twice. The first time was to pursue his passion for civil rights by becoming a trial lawyer with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The second time he left to join a small employment law boutique firm, where he was to become a partner, at Faegre & Benson in Denver.
Sattler is remembered as one of the foremost advocates for civil rights in Colorado. He was a passionate civil libertarian. He was a brilliant employment lawyer. He possessed a fundamental sense of fairness.
“I literally met Bruce on my first day of work at Holland & Hart as a summer clerk in May of 1972,” said longtime colleague Greg Eurich. “I introduced myself to Mr. Sattler and he taught me my first lesson in Holland & Hart protocol when he said, ’Greg, this is the West. Call me Bruce.’ As kindred spirits, it didn't take long for the two of us to become close friends, a friendship that lasted over 40 years.”
Sattler was a leader in the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Colorado for 45 years. He held many positions at the ACLU, including serving on the National ACLU Board of Directors, the Colorado Board of Directors, its legal panel and personnel committee. In 2009 he served as interim executive director, a job he performed for many months without compensation. He was a tireless supporter of pro bono work on behalf of the ACLU.
“The staff, board, and entire ACLU of Colorado community mourns the loss of Bruce Sattler,” said Executive Director Nathan Woodliff-Stanley. “His 45 years of leadership, dedication, and service to our organization made an impact that is beyond description. With his brilliant legal mind and sharp wit, Bruce provided wisdom, stability, and often levity through times of strength and times of uncertainty, and he continued to serve on the ACLU of Colorado board to his last day.”
“Bruce was my civil liberties mentor,” said Dan Recht, a fellow ACLU board member and current chair of the legal panel. “He was the quintessential civil libertarian. He was a brilliant employment lawyer with a passion for civil liberties issues. He had an amazing breadth of knowledge regarding civil liberties issues. He was always the voice of reason in board discussions. And, well, he was just a damn good guy.”
In 2000, Sattler was honored by the ACLU at the Carle Whitehead Bill of Rights dinner. He received the Edward Sherman Award, which recognizes outstanding legal work on behalf of furthering civil liberties in Colorado.
He also volunteered for many other organizations. In 1978, Sattler helped found the Colorado Lawyer’s Committee. Sattler served on the board of directors of Colorado Legal Services, which provides low-income and vulnerable persons access to legal assistance, for more than 35 years.
He also served on the board of Denver-based Free Speech TV, was a long-time supporter of the Family Star Montessori Center and worked with many other nonprofits. He and Martha made their home in the diverse neighborhood of Park Hill.
Former colleague Natalie Hanlon Lee described Sattler as her “work father,” and important force in her life. “I learned so much from him about being a lawyer and a person,” said Hanlon Lee. “He taught me how to be a great litigator, which he was. But, more importantly, he demonstrated throughout his life and our work together, how to always act with the utmost professionalism and ethics, and the importance of giving to the community and standing up for justice for all. Whenever I had a tough ethical issue, I’d always think ‘WWBD?’ – ‘What Would Bruce Do?’ and then I knew I would have the right answer.”
Bruce, along with Martha, loved to travel. He started when he attended the Stanford campus in Tours, France.  He and Martha returned there often; the couple also traveled to China, Russia and Africa.
Steve Zansberg, a former law partner, and friend of the Sattlers for 20 years, wrote, “apart from both of their unique talents, intelligence, wit, passion, warmth, and spirit, they were both such incredibly wonderful souls. As with Martha’s loss earlier this year, it is a sadly diminished world we all live in now, because Bruce is no longer a part of it.”
“Let us all recommit ourselves,” Zansberg noted, “to fight the good fight, as Bruce and Martha so passionately and unwaveringly did, and would expect and extol us to do, in their honor.”
Memorial contributions may be made to: the ACLU Foundation of Colorado, 303 E. 17^th Ave., Ste 350, Denver, CO 80203; and Leland Stanford Junior University, PO Box 20028, Stanford, CA 94309

The ACLU of Colorado does not condone the recent personal Facebook post of regional volunteer Loring Wirbel.

The ACLU of Colorado is a nonpartisan organization. We do not endorse candidates or parties. We have proudly spent decades fighting for the rights of all Coloradans, regardless of political affiliation, to vote and to freely participate in the political process.

Our members, supporters, and volunteers are free to express their own personal views and opinions in their personal lives. We have fought for decades to preserve that right, as well, for all Coloradans, no matter how strongly we disagree with the content.

However, the personal posts of members, supporters, and volunteers on their own personal social media sites should not be mistaken for endorsements or official statements of the ACLU of Colorado.

Update:

ACLU of Colorado has accepted Loring Wirbel’s resignation as chapter representative to the state board.