A man who was shot by the Mesa County Sheriff's Office after attempting to light his girlfriend on fire in 2021 had an appeal rejected by the Colorado Court of Appeals on Thursday Sept. 17.
Jason Unangst, 39, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault, attempted second-degree murder and a crime of violence sentence enhancer. He was sentenced to 36 total years in prison.
According to court documents, Unangst was shot in the head and arm by Mesa County Sheriff Deputy Jason Bailey after Unangst sprayed his girlfriend with lighter fluid and lit her on fire, then sprayed two deputies with lighter fluid and held a knife to the victim's neck in their bathroom.
In his initial appeal, Unangst contended his counsel had been ineffective, his plea had been involuntary and his sentence was illegal, according to an unpublished opinion (meaning it doesn't set a precedent and applies only to this case) issued by the Court of Appeals on Sept. 17.
"He also requested a proportionality review of the constitutionality of his 32-year sentence and the appointment of postconviction counsel," the opinion stated. "The postconviction court declined to appoint counsel for Unangst and denied the motion without a ...