Charges were officially dropped against a suspect accused of trying to kidnap an elementary student during recess.

Colorado

A Colorado judge has dismissed charges against Solomon Galligan, who was accused of attempting to kidnap an elementary school student during recess. Galligan was found incompetent to stand trial and, under state law, the court was required to dismiss the case. Court documents indicate Galligan has a long history of mental health issues and has undergone numerous competency evaluations over nearly two decades.

The ruling has prompted frustration among community members and officials, who argue that the current legal framework does not adequately address public safety concerns in such cases. While Galligan is currently receiving state-mandated mental health treatment, authorities have no further oversight, leading to renewed calls for legislative reform.

Attempted kidnap charges dropped after incompetency findings

A person accused of trying to kidnap an elementary school student during recess is no longer facing charges. 34-year-old Solomon Galligan has been found incompetent to stand trial, so a judge in Arapahoe County was required to dismiss the case under a change in state law. Denver 7 Investigates' Natalie Chuck has been covering this case, and tonight she's digging into details of this one and how the community tonight is responding. You could feel a sense of frustration in the courtroom. Everybody knew that this decision was coming, but everybody also agreed that the current systems in place in Colorado right now are not working. At the Arapahoe County Justice Center on Thursday evening, the court had no choice. Doors to the courthouse weren't the only things closing. But to dismiss this case. A judge said case closed against the suspect seen here. 34-year-old Solomon Galligan, who court documents reveal is a transgender woman who goes by Carmen, appears to walk onto the field of an Aurora elementary school, then tries kidnapping a boy. Things like this affect us all in the community. Dante White is one of the parents whose kid was there and who showed up to speak to the judge before she dismissed all charges against the suspect. Mixed emotions, right? I tried to prep myself for it, right? Tried to process what was going to happen, what we anticipated was going to happen, but it didn't take away the sting. Court documents shine a light on Galligan's previous criminal history and extensive battle with mental health problems. One motion states Galligan has undergone at least 23 competency evaluations over the past 18-plus years. In this case, Galligan was found incompetent to stand trial and not likely to be restored. Under Colorado law, judges have to dismiss cases like this. Everybody walked out of that door saying the law needs to change. The assistant district attorney admitted, although the defendant is getting state-mandated mental health treatment now, there is no guarantee Galligan will not be released. I don't have access to what is going to happen from this point forward, and that's one of the problems with the current statute. Once a case is dismissed, we in the criminal justice system lose the ability to monitor, we lose the ability to be heard. But being heard is exactly what Dante and the DA here intend on doing, advocating that lawmakers reevaluate. It begins with legislative change. We will take these cases one by one, and if there is any chance to fight it, we're going to fight it. I think everybody's going to kind of take a look at this and say, that could have been my kid, that could have been my brother, my sister, or my child, and that's where effective change happens. For more of our coverage on this case, plus to find our other investigations into the complexity of competency in Colorado, just head to Denver7.com and find that Investigates tab. For Denver 7 Investigates, I'm Natalie Chuck.

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