DENVER (KDVR) — Prosecutors are speaking out after a Douglas County judge decided to sentence a man convicted of assault and stalking to probation.
The 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office said Taylor Wayne Burrows, 31, of Lakewood, was convicted of assault and stalking. While the victim and prosecutors were looking for a prison sentence, the district attorney’s office said the judge sentenced him to probation and told Burrows to “work on his demons.”
This comes after Burrows was convicted of assaulting his former fiancée, Aubrey Cadwell, in 2023 in her Highlands Ranch home. Burrows accused Cadwell of cheating on him, then strangled her before she could escape to a neighbor’s home. Burrows was arrested, then in 2024, he strangled another person in El Paso County and threatened to kill him, according to the district attorney’s office.
A jury found Burrows guilty of assault and stalking in February.
The district attorney’s office said Burrows was sentenced to probation despite his criminal history and recommendations from the probation department, which classified him as a “maximum risk to reoffend.” Two community corrections in separate jurisdictions also rejected Burrows “due to concerns about risk and public safety.”
The name of the Judge in the case is Victoria Klingensmith. FOX31 has reached out to her via email and voicemail, but did not receive a response as of 4:30 p.m. The district attorney’s office said it’s outraged by the judge’s decision.
“I was elected to protect this community, especially the most vulnerable and preyed upon among us. But my powers end at the judge’s bench,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “The judge alone determines the appropriate sentence in cases like this. Here, a convicted high-risk domestic abuser- whose longest period of lawful behavior has been while he was in jail on this case- has been returned to our neighborhoods contrary to the recommendations of everyone in the system…except the convicted abuser. What message does this send to domestic violence victims who are searching for the courage and support to come forward?”
Brauchler wasn’t the only one who wanted a different outcome.
“I respect the court’s determination, because it is charged with finding a sentence that is both just and protective of the victim and the community. It is difficult to view this outcome as accomplishing either of these goals,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Nate Marsh. “When victims do everything right- they come forward, they testify, and a jury agrees- they should not be failed at sentencing. Probation for a proven abuser who has a history of ignoring the court’s prior orders…it is understandable that the victim feels betrayed, and at risk.”
Cadwell also spoke out about her disappointment with the sentencing.
“This is a second betrayal,” said Cadwell after Thursday’s sentencing. “First by the man who hurt me, and now by a legal system that was supposed to protect me. I trusted this judge to make a fair decision, and she chose to ignore evidence, and to endanger the public, and to endanger me and my family. There is no justice.”
FOX31 also contacted Burrows’ attorney and received a statement.
“The court properly sentenced Mr. Burrows after a thorough review of all relevant information. She did what any judge with integrity would do. She placed Mr. Burrows on probation with meaningful supervision after he had already served 19 months in jail,” Burrows’ attorney, Mark Savoy, said.
The district attorney’s office said this was another convicted stalker sentenced to probation.
FOX31’s Heather Willard and Vicente Arenas contributed to this report.
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