The summaries of the Colorado Court of Appeals published opinions constitute no part of the opinion of the division but have been prepared by the division for the convenience of the reader. The summaries may not be cited or relied upon as they are not the official language of the division. Any discrepancy between the language in the summary and in the opinion should be resolved in favor of the language in the opinion.
SUMMARY February 12, 2026
2026COA7
No. 24CA1501, People v. Martinez — Criminal Procedure — Postconviction Remedies — Crim. P. 35(c)(3)(V) — Denial without Evidentiary Hearing — Based on the Pleadings
A division of the court of appeals concludes that the phrase
“based on the pleadings” in Crim. P. 35(c)(3)(V) allows a
postconviction court, when determining whether to conduct a
hearing, to consider at least those materials found within the files
and record of the case that are either attached to or referenced in
the defendant’s Rule 35 motion (including any supplemental
motion) or the parties’ briefing on the motion. COLORADO COURT OF APPEALS 2026COA7
Court of Appeals No. 24CA1501 City and County of Denver District Court No. 14CR564 Honorable Nikea T. Bland, Judge
The People of the State of Colorado,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
Kenny Lee Martinez,
Defendant-Appellant.
ORDER AFFIRMED
Division VII Opinion by JUDGE TOW Lum and Moultrie, JJ., concur
Announced February 12, 2026
Philip J. Weiser, Attorney General, Austin R. Johnston, Assistant Attorney General, Denver, Colorado, for Plaintiff-Appellee
Erin Wigglesworth, Alternate Defense Counsel, Denver, Colorado, for Defendant-Appellant ¶1 Defendant, Kenny Lee Martinez, appeals the postconviction
court’s order denying his Crim. P. 35(c) motion for postconviction
relief without holding an evidentiary hearing.
¶2 In this opinion, we clarify what a postconviction court may
consider before determining that it is appropriate to deny a Crim. P.
35(c) motion “based on the pleadings” and without holding a
hearing, as contemplated by Crim. P. 35(c)(3)(V). We conclude that
the phrase “the pleadings” in this context includes, at a minimum,
materials that are found within the files and record of the case that
are either attached to or referenced in the defendant’s motion
(including any supplemental motion) or the parties’ briefing on the
motion.
¶3 Because the postconviction court properly considered the files
and record of the case that were attached to or referenced by the
parties’ briefing on the motion, and because we discern no other
basis to disturb the court’s order, we affirm.
I. Background
¶4 Based on allegations that Martinez assaulted his wife with a
candlestick in front of her nine-year-old son and thirteen-year-old
niece, a jury convicted him of second degree assault, two counts of
1 child abuse, thirteen counts of violating a protection order. He was
also charged with and convicted of possession of cocaine. He was
acquitted of first degree assault and tampering with a victim. The
district court imposed a controlling sentence of fourteen years in
the custody of the Department of Corrections for second degree
assault, with shorter concurrent sentences on the remaining
convictions.
¶5 On direct appeal, a division of this court affirmed the
judgment of conviction. See People v. Martinez, (Colo. App. No.
15CA0473, Mar. 30, 2017) (not published pursuant to C.A.R. 35(e)).
¶6 Martinez then moved for postconviction relief under Crim.
P. 35(c), raising claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and juror
misconduct. The postconviction court appointed counsel, who
supplemented Martinez’s postconviction motion. At the court’s
request, the prosecution responded to the supplemental motion.
After reviewing the parties’ briefing, the court denied Martinez’s
motion without a hearing.
2 II. The Phrase “Based on the Pleadings” in Crim. P. 35(c)(3)(V)
¶7 Martinez contends that the postconviction court failed to apply
the correct legal standard when denying his motion and supplement
without a hearing. We disagree.
A. Standard of Review
¶8 We review de novo a postconviction court’s denial of a Crim. P.
35(c) motion without an evidentiary hearing. People v. Davis, 2012
COA 14, ¶ 6. We also review de novo a postconviction court’s
construction of a rule of criminal procedure, id., and whether the
court applied the correct legal standard, Ronquillo v. People, 2017
CO 99, ¶ 13.
¶9 We use principles of statutory construction when interpreting
rules of procedure. People v. Smith, 2017 COA 12, ¶ 16. First, we
read the language of the rule consistently with its plain and
ordinary meaning, and if it is clear and unambiguous, we apply the
rule as written unless doing so leads to an absurd result. People v.
Segura, 2024 CO 70, ¶ 21.
B. Rule 35 Procedures
¶ 10 Rule 35 of the Colorado Rules of Criminal Procedure affords
every person convicted of a crime the opportunity for postconviction
3 review based on, among other things, a claim that the person’s
conviction or sentence was imposed in violation of the constitutions
or laws of the United States or Colorado. See People v. Turman, 659
P.2d 1368, 1370 (Colo. 1983). When initially reviewing a Crim. P.
35(c) motion, a court may deny the motion without conducting an
evidentiary hearing if “the motion and the files and record of the
case” establish that the defendant is not entitled to relief. Crim. P.
35(c)(3)(IV). However, if the court does not deny the motion based
on its review of the motion, files, and record of the case, the court
must then refer the matter to the Office of the Public Defender
(OPD)1 if counsel is requested. Following the parties’ briefing, the
court must hold an evidentiary hearing on the motion unless the
court finds that, “based on the pleadings,” it is appropriate to enter
a ruling without holding a hearing. Crim. P. 35(c)(3)(V); see Smith,
¶ 15.
1References to the OPD in Crim. P. 35(c)(3)(IV)-(V) include the Office
of Alternate Defense Counsel (OADC) when the OPD has a conflict of interest. See People v. Segura, 2024 CO 70, ¶ 5 n.2. Likewise, references to the OPD in this opinion include the OADC.
4 C. Analysis
¶ 11 Martinez contends that the phrase “based on the pleadings” in
Crim. P. 35(c)(3)(V) confines the postconviction court’s review to
only the briefing on the motion, and not the files and record of the
case. And because the court denied the motion by relying on
information that Martinez contends was outside “the pleadings” —
namely, transcripts and exhibits from the jury trial — he argues
that the court committed reversible error.
¶ 12 As noted, in a postconviction court’s initial review of a Rule 35
motion, subsection (c)(3)(IV) plainly allows the court to consider “the
motion and the files and record of the case.” Crim. P. 35(c)(3)(IV).
But once the court determines that there is at least one claim of
arguable merit, review progresses under subsection (c)(3)(V), which
explicitly directs courts to “grant a prompt hearing on the motion
unless, based on the pleadings, the court finds that it is appropriate
5 to enter a ruling containing written findings of fact and conclusions
of law.” Crim. P. 35(c)(3)(V) (emphasis added).2
¶ 13 The central point of contention on this issue is whether the
phrase “based on the pleadings” in Crim. P. 35(c)(3)(V) prohibits a
postconviction court from considering the record (other than the
pleadings) when determining whether to conduct a hearing on a
Rule 35 motion that the parties have briefed. We conclude that it
does not.
¶ 14 We first note that the Colorado Rules of Criminal Procedure
define “pleadings” as “the indictment or information or complaint,
or summons and complaint, and the pleas of guilty, not guilty, not
guilty by reason of insanity, and nolo contendere.” Crim. P. 12(a).
2 Historically, Crim. P. 35(c)(3) instructed courts to consider “the
motion and the files and record of the case” before deciding whether to grant an evidentiary hearing. Crim. P. 35(c)(3) (2003). However, in 2004 this provision of the rule was amended to include, as relevant here, subsections (c)(3)(IV) and (V). See Rule Change 2004(02), Colorado Rules of Criminal Procedure (Amended and Adopted by the Court En Banc, Jan. 29, 2004), https://perma.cc/3TUK-PLAX. Thus, while more recent cases often cite cases applying the pre-2004 version of the rule — including White v. Denver District Court, 766 P.2d 632 (Colo. 1988); Ardolino v. People, 69 P.3d 73 (Colo. 2003); and People v. Venzor, 121 P.3d 260 (Colo. App. 2005) — neither the older cases nor those relying on them provide any guidance on the scope of the phrase “based on the pleadings” in Crim. P. 35(c)(3)(V).
6 That definition is unhelpful here. It is rooted in pretrial, not
postconviction, proceedings. Indeed, the title of Rule 12 is
“Pleadings, Motions Before Trial, Defenses, and Objections.” If that
definition were to apply to Rule 35’s “pleadings” reference, the
postconviction court would not even be able to consider the
postconviction motion itself. We decline to interpret the rule in
such a preposterous fashion.
¶ 15 Martinez directs us to the Rules of Civil Procedure for
guidance. He argues that a court’s denial of a motion under
C.R.C.P. 12(c) is analogous to the court’s denial of a postconviction
motion under Crim. P. 35(c)(3)(V) because, when a party moves
under C.R.C.P. 12(c) for judgment on the pleadings, the court must
deny the motion unless the matter can be resolved based only on
information within the pleadings. But the civil rules are not
necessarily informative either because, like Crim. P. 12, the
definition of “pleadings” in the civil rules does not include motions
or briefs. See C.R.C.P. 7(a).
¶ 16 Nevertheless, to the extent such an analogy is helpful, it works
against Martinez’s position. A court’s consideration of the pleadings
under C.R.C.P. 12(c) includes documents referred to in the
7 pleadings. See Hannon L. Firm, LLC v. Melat, Pressman & Higbie,
LLP, 293 P.3d 55, 59 (Colo. App. 2011) (“[A] document that is
referred to in or is attached to a complaint may be reviewed by the
court on a motion for judgment on the pleadings without converting
the motion to one for summary judgment.”), aff’d, 2012 CO 61; City
of Boulder v. Pub. Serv. Co. of Colo., 996 P.2d 198, 203 (Colo. App.
1999) (“Documents referred to in a pleading are, in effect,
incorporated in that pleading, and may properly be considered by
the trial court in deciding whether to dismiss a claim on any
grounds.”).
¶ 17 We are also unpersuaded by Martinez’s reliance on Smith. In
that case, the division said that pleadings “do not encompass
attachments to the parties’ filings.” Smith, ¶ 17. However, the
attachment at issue in Smith was an affidavit from the prosecutor’s
investigator — in other words, evidentiary material that was not
already part of the existing record.
¶ 18 But the division in Smith proceeded to clarify:
We do not suggest that a party is precluded from attaching an exhibit to a pleading for the court’s convenience or to corroborate factual assertions. But it is error for the court to render judgment on the pleadings based on
8 factual allegations that are outside the existing record in the case.
Id. at ¶ 19 n.2 (emphasis added). Thus, Smith plainly stands for the
proposition that documents already in the existing record can be
considered on a Crim. P. 35(c) motion.
¶ 19 Moreover, Martinez’s strict reading of subsection (c)(3)(V)’s
“based on the pleadings” language would lead to an absurd result
for three reasons.
¶ 20 First, Martinez’s reading of the rule would allow litigants,
intentionally or not, to assert facts in their briefs that are not
supported by the record, given the court’s inability to review the
record itself to verify the factual assertion. By way of example,
Martinez’s appointed counsel asserted in the supplemental motion
that trial counsel provided ineffective assistance by failing to object
to a purportedly prejudicial statement on the serious bodily injury
(SBI) form admitted as an exhibit at trial. In its response, the
prosecution attached a copy of the original SBI form and the version
of the SBI form that was admitted at trial, which showed that the
statement had been redacted and was never provided to the jury.
Under Martinez’s reading of subsection (c)(3)(V), the court would not
9 be able to verify the accuracy of the factual assertion underlying the
ineffective assistance claim without holding a hearing.
¶ 21 Second, our de novo review of the summary denial of a Crim.
P. 35(c) postconviction motion permits affirmance on any ground
supported by the record, even if the postconviction court did not
consider or contemplate that ground. See People v. Hamm, 2019
COA 90, ¶ 23. Thus, under Martinez’s proposed interpretation of
subsection (c)(3)(V), an appellate court could consider the entire
record on an appeal of a summary denial of a postconviction
motion, but the postconviction court would be prohibited from
doing so.
¶ 22 And finally, we cannot conceive of a logical reason why the
parameters of review would shrink after all parties have had a full
opportunity to present their positions to the court in writing. If,
after thoughtful briefing from counsel on both sides of the issue, it
is clear from the pleadings (and any reference to the record) that the
defendant will be unable to prevail at a hearing, it would be absurd
to require expending the parties’ and the court’s resources to
conduct a futile exercise of holding a hearing.
10 ¶ 23 Because Martinez’s narrow interpretation of the phrase “based
on the pleadings” produces an illogical and absurd result, we will
not endorse it.
¶ 24 But what does the phrase “based on the pleadings” in
subsection (c)(3)(V) mean? Is it merely a codification of the party
presentation principle? See Galvan v. People, 2020 CO 82, ¶ 45
(“Under our adversarial system of justice, we adhere to the party
presentation principle, which relies on the parties to frame the
issues to be decided and assigns to courts the role of neutral
arbiters of the matters raised.”). Is it nothing more than an
acknowledgment that the court can decide the matter without a
hearing if it finds that doing so is appropriate? Is the true
gravamen of the sentence in subsection (c)(3)(V) that includes the
phrase “based on the pleadings” that the hearing must be prompt?
We leave these questions for another day.
¶ 25 On the circumstances before us, we need not decide the outer
bounds of what the phrase “based on the pleadings” means. We
decide only that when a party’s briefing references or attaches a
portion of the existing record, the postconviction court can consider
it when determining whether a hearing is warranted.
11 ¶ 26 Having so concluded, we turn next to whether the
postconviction court issued its ruling “based on the pleadings”
under Crim. P. 35(c)(3)(V). We conclude that it did.
¶ 27 The postconviction court’s order relied only on the portions of
the record cited in the parties’ pleadings — namely, the facts the
parties incorporated by reference into their pleadings — or attached
to their pleadings. For instance, the court referenced only the
portions of the trial transcript that were cited in the prosecution’s
response when it found that Martinez’s ineffective assistance claim
regarding the warrantless search of his house lacked merit. The
court also relied on the prosecution’s citation to the SBI exhibit
provided to the jury (which, as mentioned, was also attached to the
prosecution’s response) to reject Martinez’s claim that a prejudicial,
unredacted SBI form was admitted at trial. And the court rejected
Martinez’s claim that his counsel admitted ineffectiveness on the
ground that his pleadings were “conclusory and [did] not have
supporting details.” This finding did not rely on the record,
although in resolving this claim, the court did speculate about what
part of the record Martinez’s allegation might be referencing. But in
12 doing so, the court mentioned only the portion of the record that
the prosecution cited in its response.
¶ 28 Accordingly, because the portions of the transcript that the
postconviction court considered were referenced by the parties in
their pleadings and were part of the files and record of the case, the
court did not err by relying on them in denying Martinez’s motion
without a hearing under Crim. P. 35(c)(3)(V). And to the extent the
court applied the initial review standard from subsection (c)(3)(IV),
we conclude that the error was harmless because no hearing was
necessary under the proper standard.
III. Request for Release of Juror Information
¶ 29 Next, we address and reject Martinez’s claim that the
postconviction court erred by denying his request for the release of
juror information.
A. Additional Background
¶ 30 In May 2022, the postconviction court granted, in part,
postconviction counsel’s motion requesting juror information —
namely, to allow access to a juror who had expressed hesitation
about returning to deliberations. The motion alleged that, during
deliberations, one of the jurors informed the court that she did not
13 “feel comfortable” returning to deliberations the next day. When
pressed further, the juror explained that her concerns were “not
really about whether or not we’re reaching verdicts” but “more
about the treatment of people in the room.” The district court
encouraged the juror to “take the evening, relax, and come back
tomorrow,” and if things did not improve, to notify the foreperson.
The juror agreed. After the juror left the courtroom, defense
counsel expressed concern that deliberations had become “coercive”
and that the juror appeared “quite upset and was either crying or
on the brink of crying.” The following day, neither the jurors nor
counsel brought additional concerns to the district court’s
attention, and the jury returned and rendered its verdicts. Based
on postconviction counsel’s allegations, the court agreed to allow
the release of information for the juror and expressly indicated that
“[o]nly after investigation into [this juror would] the Court
reconsider further release [of information].”
¶ 31 The next month, Martinez’s counsel alerted the postconviction
court that counsel had received the juror’s information and was
“working to locate the correct person and to interview that person.”
Counsel requested, and the court granted, an additional forty-five
14 days to complete her investigation and file a supplemental petition.
Two months later, counsel again requested additional time, noting
that her investigator had located the correct person, “attempted
contact, and [was] awaiting a response.” The court again granted
counsel’s request.
¶ 32 In September, four months after the postconviction court’s
order granting access to the juror, postconviction counsel filed the
supplemental postconviction motion. In it, counsel renewed her
request for disclosure of additional juror contact information, noting
that “[t]he defense investigator has located an out-of-state address
for the juror and is still working to make contact.” The court noted
that the motion did “not provide any further evidence regarding the
alleged juror misconduct” and instead “merely restate[d] the
argument from the prior Motion for Access to Juror Information.”
Finding “no overt, objective coercion or misconduct by the jurors,”
the court “err[ed] on the side of protecting juror[s’] privacy” and
denied counsel’s request.
B. Standard of Review and Applicable Law
¶ 33 We review for an abuse of discretion a court’s denial of a
request for juror contact information. People v. Bohl, 2018 COA
15 152, ¶ 16. A court abuses its discretion if its decision is manifestly
arbitrary, unreasonable, or unfair, or if it misconstrues or
misapplies the law. Id.
¶ 34 Colorado Rule of Evidence 606(b) generally prohibits a juror
from testifying about “any matter or statement occurring during the
course of the jury’s deliberations” or about “the effect of anything
upon that juror’s or any other juror’s mind or emotions.” Likewise,
a court may not receive a “juror’s affidavit or evidence of any
statement by the juror” concerning as much. CRE 606(b). This
rule “strongly disfavors any juror testimony impeaching a verdict”
and seeks to “promote finality of verdicts, shield verdicts from
impeachment, and protect jurors from harassment and coercion.”
People v. Harlan, 109 P.3d 616, 624 (Colo. 2005).
¶ 35 Nevertheless, Colorado courts recognize an exception to CRE
606(b) for the possibility of juror misconduct. People v. Rudnick,
878 P.2d 16, 21 (Colo. App. 1993). If the alleged misconduct
involves coercion between jurors, a court may consider evidence of
“objective circumstances and overt coercive acts by other members
of the jury,” but it may not consider “the effect this conduct actually
had on the minds of the jurors.” Id. at 21-22.
16 ¶ 36 Note, though, that “[h]eated argument, even shouting, may be
a normal part of the deliberative process of a jury.” People v. Vigil,
718 P.2d 496, 502 (Colo. 1986). So “courts may consider evidence
of objective circumstances and overt coercive acts by members of a
jury only if the alleged coercive acts rise to the level of continuous
violent, abusive, and profane language and conduct threatening or
amounting to physical violence against a juror.” People v. Mollaun,
194 P.3d 411, 418 (Colo. App. 2008) (emphasis added). Otherwise,
a court may not receive such evidence and need not question the
jurors. Id. at 418-19; see also Rudnick, 878 P.2d at 21-22 (juror’s
testimony that she felt mentally abused by another juror who had
treated her in a physically and verbally aggressive, intimidating,
demeaning, and belittling manner was excludable under CRE
606(b)).
C. Analysis
¶ 37 Martinez agrees that the record did not include evidence that
the jurors engaged in overt coercive acts. Instead, he asserts that
because the record did not rule out potential overt coercive acts
that may have made the juror not want to return to deliberations
the next day, the postconviction court’s refusal to release additional
17 juror information impeded counsel’s ability to investigate the
possibility that such acts occurred.
¶ 38 We are not persuaded that the postconviction court’s ruling
was an abuse of discretion. The court granted postconviction
counsel’s request to provide contact information for the juror
central to this claim and agreed to consider the release of additional
information “after investigation into [this juror].” The court also
granted both of Martinez’s counsel’s subsequent requests for
additional time to contact and interview the juror. Despite this, the
supplemental motion did not provide the court with additional
information beyond what had already been provided in the original
motion. Moreover, without additional evidence of juror misconduct,
the allegations set forth in Martinez’s motion were too speculative to
support disclosure of juror information. See Bohl, ¶ 22. Indeed,
the juror returned the next day and continued to deliberate, and no
jurors subsequently reported any misconduct to the court or the
parties. See id. at ¶ 26. Also, Martinez agrees that there were never
any reports of continuous violent, abusive, and profane language or
threats of physical violence against this juror or any other juror.
See Mollaun, 194 P.3d at 418. And a juror’s distress, by itself, does
18 not constitute material evidence that misconduct occurred. See id.
at 414 (concluding that the district court properly declined a pre-
verdict request to question a juror who became emotional and
“locked herself in the bathroom” during deliberations but later
affirmed her verdict); see also People v. Newman, 2020 COA 108,
¶ 13 (noting that, under CRE 606(b), a court need not grant a
hearing unless “the party alleging misconduct has presented
competent evidence” of impropriety (citation omitted)).
¶ 39 Therefore, given the lack of record evidence showing prejudice
from jury misconduct, combined with CRE 606(b)’s fundamental
purpose of protecting jurors and their deliberations, the
postconviction court’s decision against releasing juror contact
information to the defense was not manifestly arbitrary,
unreasonable, or unfair, or based on a misunderstanding of the
law. See Bohl, ¶ 16. Accordingly, we discern no abuse of discretion
by the court.
IV. Disposition
¶ 40 The order is affirmed.
JUDGE LUM and JUDGE MOULTRIE concur.