Black Cloud Will Linger for Judge

The extraordinary legal career that Larry Manzanares spent 25 years building will be forever tainted by the scandal and criminal charges he now faces, according to some legal experts.

"This debacle will follow him to the grave, regardless of guilt or innocence," said Denver lawyer Scott Robinson.

"He's always going to have that black cloud hanging over his head," Robinson said. "He'll be like Marley's ghost, pulling the weight of the chains that he's forged in life."

Manzanares, 50, was charged with three felonies Wednesday in the theft of a state-owned computer from the courthouse. Investigators found "massive" amounts of pornography on the computer, which Manzanares tried to delete before turning the computer over to police.

A graduate of Harvard Law School, Manzanares became a Denver county judge in 1992, a district judge in 1998 and was appointed Denver city attorney in January. His salary was $125,473.

This is a hard fall for a person whose career appeared to be on a rapid rise to even greater achievement, said Denver lawyer and former prosecutor Craig Silverman.

Bummer, dude. Details here from the Rocky Mountain News. (via Above the Law)