Frustrated community leaders, lawmakers and families voiced their concerns with state legislation and mental health resources in the wake of the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office’s plans to dismiss charges against the man accused of attempting to kidnap a child on a school playground.
“It still haunts me,” said Charles Morales.
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“I have a granddaughter who is still at Cherry Creek Schools, and I just don’t want this to happen again,” he said.
His reasoning is also personal, because he says he saw 34-year-old Solomon Galligan just before the suspect allegedly walked onto the playground at Black Forest Hills Elementary last year.
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Like other people in the community, Morales wants to know why Galligan’s charges will be dropped, despite a history of repeated violent offenses.
“It was very frustrating at first, right?” said Dante White. “The initial kind of [feeling] was anger…and [I] thought that they dropped the ball here.”
White’s son was one of the children who saw Galligan approach them on the playground that day. Now, White is having to explain to him that the same man will not remain behind bars.
“He was confused, he said, ‘Why is this person being let go? What exactly is occurring here to make this happen?'” said White.
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“The legislation has now codified this dangerous practice that allows violent offenders to have their charges dismissed and removed from the criminal justice system,” said Lori Gimelshteyn, founder of the Colorado Parent Advocacy Network.
White says this is a systemic issue that needs to be changed by working with lawmakers to re-examine the existing law or push for more mental health funding to prevent people like Galligan from slipping through the cracks.
“How do we work together to make sure an incident like this doesn’t happen in the future?” he said.
The 18th Judicial District Attorney Amy Padden released this statement to CBS Colorado: We are aware of several inaccuracies made by an Aurora councilwoman regarding the charges that are pending against Solomon Galligan, a defendant who was arrested in 2024 for an incident at Black Forest Hills Elementary School. In the interest of transparency and public accountability, we feel it is important to set the record straight.
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This defendant has had prior criminal cases in which their mental competency to proceed had been raised. Regarding the pending criminal case in Arapahoe County, the defendant’s attorneys raised competency last year and the defendant underwent his first court-ordered mental competency evaluation in 2024—prior to my taking office—which was conducted by the state Office of Civil and Forensic Mental Health. The defendant’s legal counsel requested that that report be supplemented, which the Court granted, and then the Court ordered another re-evaluation by the state. The defendant’s counsel (not our office) then requested, and the Court ordered, a second evaluation by an independent psychiatrist, which was completed in June 2025.
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If the Court decides that the defendant is incompetent and unlikely to be restored or to maintain competency during the pendency of the case, the Court is required by statute to dismiss the charges, and our Office is legally prohibited from taking this case to trial. As the District Attorney, I have many concerns about this statutory process and its impact on community safety in situations where charges must be dismissed. Even before the defense’s motion to dismiss was filed in this case, I was speaking with legislators about proposed reforms to the statute. I will continue those discussions to collaborate about a solution that promotes community safety. If the motion to dismiss is granted here, Galligan will not be released into the community at that time.
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Mental health is a critical issue in our criminal justice system, and I am committed to working with law enforcement, lawmakers, and community stakeholders to find lasting solutions. Unfortunately, some elected officials have chosen to politicize this issue rather than collaborating to work on productive solutions, such as changing the state laws that prosecutors and courts are required to follow. I want to be clear: politics plays no role in our pursuit of justice. We remain guided by the law, the facts, and our commitment to the people of Arapahoe County. Our Office will continue to provide accurate, timely information as appropriate. I took an oath to serve this community with honor, humility, and integrity—and I will continue to uphold that commitment every day.”
* Original Article:
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/arapahoe-county-solomon-galligan-legislative-change-dismiss-kidnapping-case/