The ongoing case against Sean Tatro, a former school resource officer in the Roaring Fork School District, covers several crimes that allegedly occurred between the police officer and a woman he worked with at Glenwood Springs High School. When they met in October 2023, she was 19 years old.
The charges against Tatro include menacing, contributing to the delinquency of a minor (18-21), sexual assault, third-degree assault, use of a stun gun in the commission of a crime, harassment, reckless endangerment, and domestic violence.
The most serious charges against Tatro are three class 4 felonies. In a phone call on Wednesday, Deputy District Attorney Eric Lund said none of these charges come with minimum sentencing requirements. Therefore, if Tatro were found guilty on all charges, he wouldn’t necessarily serve prison time.
Tatro’s lawyer, Kimberly Diego, has asked for multiple continuances to finish reviewing evidence since she took the case this summer.
After Judge Anne Norrdin granted the defense a continuance in November, Lund requested the court set a trial date during the plea hearing on Dec. 17. Lund reemphasized this request on Tuesday.
“From the people's perspective, we need to set this case for trial,” he said. “Their plea negotiations have been nonexistent. I understand Ms. Diego continues to investigate her case, but she can do that while we are proceeding towards some final trial date.”
Diego told Judge Norrdin that she cannot engage in plea negotiations until after she finishes an electronic investigation.
Diego said she’ll contact prosecutors in mid-January.
"Mr. Lund has indicated that while he will revoke the current offer at the end of this month, he will be willing to have further conversations with me after my investigation develops."
In a phone call on Wednesday, Diego did not provide additional context around her electronic investigation, but she told Judge Norrdin on Tuesday that she’s been working diligently on reviewing electronic records and will have to conduct an analysis of “the phone.”
“I don't know if that's going to be definitive on the case or not,” Diego said. “It kind of depends on what's found on the phone. So that's where we're at currently, but I am working as quickly as I can to get that information so that hopefully we can get some answers.”
It’s unclear if the phone belongs to the defendant, the victim, or someone else.
Tatro’s trial is set for June 17 with jury selection beginning in May and pre-trial motions due in February. However, depending on future negotiations, the case might not make it to trial.
