John Michael Bowlen, son of Broncos majority owner Pat Bowlen, was convicted in April of misdemeanor harassment in a case involving his then-girlfriend. He is appealing by arguing that the arresting officer basically filled out the ticket wrong.
Details of the conviction:
A woman romantically involved with John Bowlen said that he began yelling and talking about "somebody" during an argument, according to legal documents filed in the case. She said that he shoved her against a wall and took her phone while she tried to call 911, according to documents filed by both sides.
The victim then ran after her into another room and called 911 again from a landline phone, only to throw the phone down as Bowlen ran into the room, the documents stated.
"Bowlen picked up the phone and disconnected the line," according to the prosecution.
When a 911 operator called back, Bowlen answered, said he was the owner of the Denver Broncos, and accused his girlfriend of being intoxicated. Later, he told police she was "trying to get him in trouble with the media," an argument his attorney would repeat in court.
When officers arrived, Bowlen's girlfriend was crying in the bathroom, according to the prosecution.
(Point of context: The Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence says it's more common for abuse to go unreported than for people to make false claims.)
The appeal:
Bowlen's attorney argues that the arrest document filled out by an officer failed to state certain "elements" of the charge, basically not giving enough specifics.
The officer "did not include a parenthetical subsection," according to 18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler's office.
The DA's office argues that the court later corrected the paperwork, as it is allowed to do. A district judge will now rule on the appeal, likely without hearing oral arguments, according to the DA's office.
The next step would be the Colorado Supreme Court.
