Auman, 29, appeared in district court Tuesday for the beginning of hearings leading up to a new trial in the death of officer Bruce VanderJagt, fatally shot in November 1997 by Mattheus Jaehnig. Auman and Jaehnig, who shot himself, were fleeing police after breaking into Auman's former boyfriend's house to get some of her belongings.
A bond hearing was scheduled for June 21. Auman is being held without bond, but her lawyers said they plan to seek it.
Auman's case caught the nation's attention after celebrities including Hunter S. Thompson and Warren Zevon rallied for her freedom. They and other supporters questioned the fairness of the felony murder law that sent her to prison for life with no chance of parole.
The Colorado Supreme Court, however, upheld the felony murder statute, under which anybody involved in certain felonies is guilty of murder if somebody is killed during the crime or flight from it. The court overturned Auman's conviction because of faulty jury instructions.
VanderJagt was killed at a condominium complex where Jaehnig and Auman fled their car after leading police on a chase from the mountains. Auman surrendered and was in a patrol car when Jaehnig exchanged fire with police, fatally wounding VanderJagt, 47. He then killed himself.
Lynn Kimbrough, spokesman for the Denver district attorney, said the judge approved a request by defense lawyers to keep Auman in the Denver County jail rather than return her to a women's prison.
A motions hearing was set for July 11 and a pretrial conference for Aug. 2.
