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New warrant issued for sex case teacher

Prosecutors claim she contacted victim; arrest warrant issued

Chris Barge And John C. Ensslin, Rocky Mountain News

Published January 30, 2007 at midnight

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A Larimer County judge has signed a new arrest warrant for Carrie McCandless after prosecutors alleged that the former Brighton Charter High School teacher contacted the alleged victim in her sexual assault case.

A lawyer for McCandless denied the charge.

"I don't know if (he) received a telephone call, but it wasn't made by Miss

McCandless," said her lawyer, M. Trent Trani.

A spokeswoman for the Larimer County District Attorney's Office confirmed that a second arrest warrant was issued for McCandless on Friday, alleging that she violated the terms of her bail.

Spokeswoman Linda Jensen said the affidavit supporting the warrant has been sealed. She declined to comment on the details of the affidavit.

McCandless, 30, faces charges of sexual assault and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She was ordered not to have contact with the alleged victim - a former student - or any other minors as a condition of her release on $20,000 bail.

According to a Denver's 7 news report, prosecutors alleged in a motion filed Thursday that McCandless contacted the student Wednesday, two days after appearing in the same courtroom with him for a preliminary hearing.

Prosecutors asked the judge to revoke McCandless' bail. An arrest warrant reportedly was issued for her Friday.

As of Monday evening, it didn't appear as if McCandless had turned herself in.

Trani and Deputy District Attorney Michael Pierson revealed at the preliminary hearing last week that they were negotiating a plea deal for McCandless.

The alleged victim sat alone at the hearing in Fort Collins. Trani had subpoenaed him to testify, saying the student had refused to be interviewed by him.

Prosecutors are asking the judge to quash the subpoena, saying it amounts to harassment and intimidation or an attempt to obtain a deposition.

McCandless turned herself in at the Jefferson County Jail in November. She is accused of having inappropriate sexual contact with the student while chaperoning a school trip to Estes Park.

McCandless has been fired from the Brighton charter school, where here husband, Chris, is principal.

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