Ruling on convicted rapist Christopher Lawyer’s parole hearing expected Tuesday

Convicted rapist and court-designated “sexually violent predator” Christopher Lawyer had a parole hearing today, and officials expect a ruling sometime on Tuesday.

Lawyer, 44, had his parole revoked last year after his second violation in as many years since being released in 2016, and was sent back to prison to continue serving his original sentence of 12 years to life.

But while Lawyer’s sentence is an indeterminate one — meaning he could serve up to the remainder of his life in prison if not deemed releasable — he remains eligible to apply for parole, and had his first hearing today.

Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said a member of his office’s sex assault unit went to the hearing, and Dougherty said he expects a ruling on Tuesday.

The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office opposed Lawyer’s release in a letter sent to the Colorado State Board of Parole.

In 2000, Lawyer kidnapped a woman who was delivering newspapers at the Gold Run apartments in Boulder, forced her into her own vehicle and taped her eyes and mouth shut. Lawyer drove the woman to another location, raped her for more than an hour at gunpoint and attempted to make casual conversation afterward.

The day before the rape, Lawyer forced his way into a University Hill home and attempted to rape a different woman at knifepoint. That woman was injured, but managed to escape when her roommate appeared.