DA WORKER FIRED AFTER ACCUSATION

A juvenile case manager with the Denver district attorney's office is out
of a job after a murder suspect accused him of moonlighting as a marijuana
dealer, authorities said Tuesday. Manuel Folks, 27, left his job with
District Attorney Bill Ritter's office Friday.

Folks had worked at the DA's office since May 2001 and managed a small
juvenile diversion caseload last summer, Ritter said.

Folks' departure comes after Daniel Ferraro, 38, told Arvada homicide
investigators that Folks sold marijuana to 28-year-old Jeffrey David Dickerson.

Ferraro is the suspect in the Nov. 25 shooting death of Dickerson in Arvada.

Folks managed 22 juvenile cases this summer, and the district attorney's
office is in the process of contacting his clients and their families to
see if any marijuana deals surfaced.

So far, "there is nothing to indicate that is an issue," Ritter said.

Like all employees of the DA's office, Folks was the subject of a
background check before being hired, Ritter said. The check came up clean.

Ritter personally interviewed Folks before he was hired, he said.

Citing personnel issues, Ritter wouldn't say whether Folks was fired or if
he resigned.

But Folks' attorney, Jeff Wittebort, said his client was fired.

"He has been terminated," Wittebort said.

Wittebort said he advised Folks not to talk to the press because of the
ongoing murder investigation.

"The police have contacted him, and he has given them a statement,"
Wittebort said. "He has absolutely nothing to do with this death.
(Dickerson) was his friend."

Folks has no criminal record, Wittebort said.

Dickerson and Ferraro argued over "issues relating to an individual selling
drugs" to Dickerson, according to court documents.

That individual has been identified as Folks.

After the shooting, Ferraro told his girlfriend that he shot Dickerson six
times, according to an arrest affidavit.

Ferraro told investigators the shooting was an accident, but he also said
that if he had intended to "murder" anyone, he would have "killed Manuel
(Folks)," the affidavit said.

Ferraro remains in the Jefferson County Jail without bond on suspicion of
first-degree murder.

No charges have been filed against Folks, and he has not been arrested or
cited.

"There is an investigation pending," Wittebort said. "But to my knowledge,
there are not going to be any charges filed (against Folks) in relation to
these matters."