Former Ramsey investigator fights contempt charge

Owen S. Good, News Staff Writer

Published July 16, 2001 at midnight

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Former Boulder police Detective Steve Thomas will argue today that a process server, not he, deserves to face contempt-of-court charges for an unanswered subpoena in a trial related to the JonBenet Ramsey murder case.

Thomas, the lead investigator on the case until 1998, is scheduled to appear in Jefferson County court at 1:30 p.m. to argue a motion to quash an arrest warrant for ignoring the subpoena.

Thomas' attorney, Dan Caplis of Denver, said the process server lied when he said that the subpoena was "personally handed" to Thomas at his home.

Caplis said Thomas was in Colorado but away from his home when Lawrence Mahoney arrived with the subpoena June 3. Mahoney's attorney, Robert Ransome of Golden, said Mahoney had a conversation through a door with Thomas and left the subpoena on the steps.

Thomas was being called to testify in the trial of Thomas Miller of Boulder, who was acquitted last month of charges he tried to bribe an investigator into selling to a tabloid writer a copy of the ransom note found the morning JonBenet's body was discovered.

When Thomas didn't show, Judge Jane Tidball issued a warrant for his arrest. She also issued a warrant for Ramsey ex-friend Fleet White, who refused to testify in the Miller case. White's hearing is 8 a.m. Thursday.

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