Ex-CU football players separated for first court appearance

By Vanessa Miller, Daily Camera

Originally published 12:05 a.m., June 24, 2008
Updated 12:13 a.m., June 24, 2008

Jackson

Harris

A pair of former University of Colorado football players jailed during the weekend for their suspected roles in an armed robbery were separated for their first court appearance Monday so they couldn't communicate with each other, according to jail officials.

Former safety Lionel Harris sat in an isolated room in the Boulder County Jail's courtroom during the hearing.

CU's 2006 starting quarterback, Bernard Jackson, sat with the rest of the inmates.

Both men, who wore orange jumpsuits, are being held on a $250,000 bail.

Jackson and Harris, both 23, were arrested on suspicion of first-degree burglary, aggravated robbery and felony menacing in connection with a June 5 incident on University Hill.

They're scheduled to be charged Wednesday in connection with that incident, and officers are investigating whether Jackson and Harris are connected with other recent crimes on the Hill, police said.

Harris' attorney, Alex Garlin, told the judge Monday that he had planned to ask for a reduction of his client's bail. But, because prosecutors must first notify the alleged victims, Garlin must wait until Wednesday's hearing to make the request.

Harris' brother and father flew to Colorado from Texas on Sunday and attended Monday's hearing with Harris' girlfriend, who lives in Boulder.

Jackson's girlfriend also was at the hearing, and the group of supporters sat together.

Richard Harris said in a statement that his "son has never been prone to getting into trouble, and this is extremely distressing to the entire family."

Garlin said the family came out to "stand behind Lionel 100 percent."

No one in Harris' family has spoken with him since he was arrested by Westminster police early Saturday on a warrant out of Boulder.

Jackson was arrested hours earlier, about 6:20 p.m. Friday, in his apartment in the 2200 block of Pearl Street, according to police.

The men are accused of breaking into an apartment in the 1000 block of University Avenue, confronting the home's residents with guns, and fleeing the scene with money, according to police spokeswoman Sarah Huntley.

Huntley said Monday that police are still investigating whether other reports of criminal activity on University Hill in the past several weeks are related to the June 5 home invasion.

She said additional arrests are possible.