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Aurora man who served 4 months longer than state law allows was released after Colorado Supreme Court ruling

Denver7 · · 711 words · By Jennifer Kovaleski
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What to know about Aurora man who served 4 months longer than state law allows was released after Colorado Supreme Court ruling

An Aurora man served nearly four months longer than state law allows and was released a month after a landmark Colorado Supreme Court ruling found that cities cannot hand out tougher sentences than the state for the same crimes.

Claims checked 12
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

An Aurora man served nearly four months longer than state law allows and was released a month after a landmark Colorado Supreme Court ruling found that cities cannot hand out tougher sentences than the state for the same crimes.

Why it matters

Records show Tajuddin Ashaheed’s case became the first to test how Aurora would respond to the unanimous state Supreme Court ruling from People v.

Common ground

"It indicated to me that my sentence was illegal and I could get it vacated," Ashaheed said.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.denver7.com/news/investigations/aurora-man-who-served-4-months-longe…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 7
help Insufficient Evidence 3
schedule Pending 2
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Claim 1: “Records show Tajuddin Ashaheed’s case became the first to test how Aurora would respond to the unanimous state Supreme Court ruling from People v. Camp and Simons.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While search results mention a Tajuddin Ashaheed in the context of a First Amendment case regarding shaving his beard in prison, there is no evidence linking him to a case testing 'People v. Camp and Simons' or municipal sentencing limits.
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web search NEUTRAL — Tajuddin Ashaheed was forced by a corrections officer to shave his beard while in the custody of the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC), violating his First Amendment rights.
https://www.macarthurjustice.org/case/ashaheed-v-currington/
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web search NEUTRAL — Ashaheed asserted he was singled out because of his Muslim faith. After he filed his lawsuit, Currington moved to dismiss. The district court granted the motion and Ashaheed appealed.
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2021/nov/1/forced-shavi…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Supreme Court has opened the door for the Trump administration to no longer grant automatic citizenship to everyone born on American soil – at least for the moment. Now the White House will have t…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj9velv7z4no
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Claim 2: “The Colorado Freedom Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union recently sent letters to more than 50 city councils urging them to rewrite sentencing codes quickly”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 3: “Court notices obtained by Denver7 Investigates also show Aurora is cutting suspended sentences in hundreds of active cases to match state limits.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding Denver7 Investigates or the reduction of suspended sentences in Aurora.
info
Claim 4: “Denver7 Investigates reported last month how the ruling is already upending cases statewide, changing hundreds in Aurora alone”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results provide general information about the state of Colorado and its government website, but no mention of Denver7 Investigates or a ruling upending cases in Aurora.
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web search NEUTRAL — Colorado[b] is a landlocked state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, and part of the Southwestern United States, sharing the Four Corners re…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado
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web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago · A local recommends the best places to visit in Colorado, from quirky small towns and stunning national parks to hot springs and Rocky Mountain stops.
https://www.travelandleisure.com/best-places-to-visit-in-col…
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web search NEUTRAL — Feb 18, 2026 · Apply for or manage your medical, food, cash or other State of Colorado benefits.
https://www.colorado.gov/
schedule
Claim 5: “Aurora has stopped handing out harsher sentences, but the city's criminal code still has not been formally brought in line with state law.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 6: “records show a judge agreed, ordering his release at the end of January.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results mention a different Tajuddin (Abdul Rahman) and a general mention of Ashaheed arriving at a center in 2016, but no evidence of a judge ordering his release at the end of January in relation to this specific legal issue.
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web search NEUTRAL — Tajuddin was appointed as the chairman of Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) on 1 May 2020.[6][9][10] On 26 May 2021, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) terminated his ten…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tajuddin_Abdul_Rahman
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web search NEUTRAL — In compliance with the Order dated 28/04/2026 of Hon.Court No.46 in the matter of POCSO Act[07-05-2026] PDF. Notification bearing Ref.
https://allahabadhighcourt.in/
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web search NEUTRAL — In July 2016, Tajuddin Ashaheed arrived at the Colorado Department of Corrections Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center to serve a short sentence for parole violations.
https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/post/2-muslim-inmates-religi…
info
Claim 7: “An Aurora man served nearly four months longer than state law allows and was released a month after a landmark Colorado Supreme Court ruling found that cities cannot hand out tougher sentences than the state for the same crimes.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided web search results discuss unrelated Supreme Court cases (immigration in Alabama, a baker in Colorado, and gerrymandering in Missouri). There is no evidence provided regarding a Colorado Supreme Court ruling on municipal vs. state sentencing limits.
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web search NEUTRAL — The U.S. Supreme Court has consistently ruled that noncitizens accused of crimes are entitled to the same rights as citizens. That extends to sentencing, which should not be influenced by the national…
https://orlandoadvocate.com/immigrants-in-alabama-can-face-h…
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web search NEUTRAL — In a narrow ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court gave a victory to a Colorado baker who argued that he should not be compelled to make a cake for a same-sex wedding.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/narrow-ruling…
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web search NEUTRAL — After the court ruling, state Sen. Barbara Washington, a Kansas City Democrat, lashed out at Republicans for passing the new map and attacked Hoskins for delaying certification of the petitions.
https://missouriindependent.com/2026/05/12/no-perfect-map-mi…
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Claim 8: “Aurora court records show a jury convicted Ashaheed on two counts of harassment, which is a city ordinance domestic violence violation, for posting a photo to his X account of him with a bullet in his mouth during an online dispute with an ex-girlfriend.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding harassment convictions or social media posts involving a bullet in the mouth for Tajuddin Ashaheed.
info
Claim 9: “On June 17, 2025, a municipal judge gave him the city's maximum sentence of 364 days.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results mention a 'Kodak Black' sentenced to 364 days and a Tajuddin Ashaheed sentenced to 90 days for parole violations in 2016, but there is no evidence of a June 17, 2025, sentence of 364 days for Ashaheed.
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web search NEUTRAL — © 2025 Google LLC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iAa9ZB3jds
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web search NEUTRAL — Tajuddin Ashaheed was forced by a corrections officer to shave his beard while in the custody of the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC), violating his First Amendment rights. Mr. Ashaheed is a …
https://www.macarthurjustice.org/case/ashaheed-v-currington/
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web search NEUTRAL — *** Plaintiff-Appellant Tajuddin Ashaheed is a practicing Muslim.In 2016, he appeared for a prison intake process after being sentenced to 90 days of state incarceration for parole violations. During …
https://ij.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Ashaheed-amicus-IJ…
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Claim 10: “Newly obtained court records confirm Ashaheed was one of three inmates Aurora said were potentially serving harsher sentences when the ruling came down and filed motions with the court to have their sentences changed.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding motions filed by Aurora to change sentences for three inmates.
info
Claim 11: “At the time, that sentence was consistent with Aurora's municipal code.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results for '364' only return information about Kentucky area codes, not Aurora's municipal code or sentencing laws.
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web search NEUTRAL — Area codes 270 and 364 are telephone overlay area codes in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the Commonwealth of Kentucky 's western and south central counties.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_codes_270_and_364
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web search NEUTRAL — Where is area code 364? Area code 364 is located in western Kentucky and covers Bowling Green, Owensboro, and Hopkinsville. It is an overlay for area code 270 and serves the same area.
https://www.allareacodes.com/364
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web search NEUTRAL — May 15, 2026 · Area code 364 is located in Kentucky. Get area code location and dialing plans for all phone prefixes in area code 364.
https://npnr.org/364/
info
Claim 12: “Ashaheed had already served 229 days for a crime the state says should carry a maximum of no more than 120.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results for this claim return definitions of 'Oligarchy' and are completely irrelevant to the sentencing of Tajuddin Ashaheed.
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web search NEUTRAL — They define an oligarchy as a "type of political system" in which "the wealthiest citizens deploy unique and concentrated power resources to defend their unique minority interests", and that their dis…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligarchy
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web search NEUTRAL — May 15, 2026 · Oligarchy is one of numerous English words for a type of rule or government. Some of these words, such as plutocracy, have an exceedingly similar meaning (both may be used to refer to r…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oligarchy
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web search NEUTRAL — Oligarchy, government by the few, especially despotic power exercised by a small and privileged group for corrupt or selfish purposes. Oligarchies in which members of the ruling group are wealthy or e…
https://www.britannica.com/topic/oligarchy
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.