{"id":123527,"date":"2026-04-06T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/after-overturned-arson-conviction-durango-man-recounts-six-year-nightmare\/"},"modified":"2026-05-10T12:37:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T18:37:58","slug":"after-overturned-arson-conviction-durango-man-recounts-six-year-nightmare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/after-overturned-arson-conviction-durango-man-recounts-six-year-nightmare\/","title":{"rendered":"After overturned arson conviction, Durango man recounts six-year nightmare"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Bradley
Bradley Clark was convicted of arson in connection with an October 2019 fire at south City Market in Durango. He spent two years in prison before his conviction was overturned on appeal. He is now fighting to clear his name. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

To Bradley Clark, it feels like he has a scarlet letter permanently emblazoned on his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cA,\u201d not for adulterer, but arsonist.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a brand that doesn\u2019t go away,\u201d Clark said. \u201cI mean, besides being branded a rapist or a child molester, I can\u2019t think of a worse brand to have. I mean, just the word makes me ill.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2019, Clark was arrested on suspicion of setting fire to a bag of chips in an aisle of south City Market in Durango. It was the start of what he describes as a six-year nightmare.<\/p>\n

Over that period, he sat through 2\u00bd jury trials. The first ended almost immediately in a mistrial after a juror dropped out, leaving only 11. The second time around, he was convicted of arson.<\/p>\n

The conviction was later overturned.<\/p>\n

In 2023, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that evidence had been improperly admitted during the trial \u2013 specifically, references to a 2007 arrest in which Clark was suspected of starting a dumpster fire outside his Durango townhouse. He was never charged in that case, but the arrest was presented to jurors multiple times.<\/p>\n

Clark believes that earlier incident set the stage for everything that followed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was the initial branding,\u201d he said. \u201cIt followed me and was used against me, illegally. Thank goodness the courts picked up on that and said it was unconstitutional. The prosecution cheated to win.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even after the appellate ruling overturned his conviction two years into a four-year sentence, the case was not over. The 6th Judicial District Attorney\u2019s Office sought to retry Clark in 2025. That trial ended in another mistrial after jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict. Prosecutors ultimately dropped the charges, and Clark was released.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had my life essentially destroyed,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve had roughly six years of my life stolen from me \u2013 time with my children that can never be replaced. The impacts are indelible.\u201d<\/p>\n

A shaken belief in the system<\/div>\n

Clark remembers feeling disbelief when the guilty verdict was first read.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was by myself \u2013 my family wasn\u2019t in court at that moment,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was announced, my attorneys and I exchanged a few quick words, and then I found myself standing on the sidewalk thinking, \u2018What do I do now?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark, who holds a doctorate in American government and once taught political science at Fort Lewis College, said the experience fundamentally changed how he views the justice system he once believed in.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy experience has shown me there is no balance,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is skewed in the interests of the state, not the accused.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a professor, Clark said he used to encourage students to give the system the benefit of the doubt \u2013 something he no longer believes is warranted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe system failed me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Clark has become sharply critical of laws that shield prosecutors and judges from consequences. Prosecutorial immunity, he argued, allows misconduct to go unchecked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s troubling that prosecutors and judges can make serious mistakes or act improperly and there\u2019s no meaningful recourse,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He also faults the judge in his case for allowing evidence of the 2007 arrest to be presented to jurors \u2013 a decision later deemed unconstitutional by the appellate court.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a glaring mistake,\u201d Clark said. \u201cAnd yet the judge retired scot-free.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark believes both prosecutors and judges should face stronger accountability when legal errors contribute to wrongful convictions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think they care about guilt or innocence,\u201d he said. \u201cI think they care about conviction rates and public opinion. District attorneys are elected \u2013 they have to show results.\u201d<\/p>\n

District Attorney Sean Murray declined to comment for this story, citing rules that prohibit Colorado prosecutors from discussing closed and sealed cases.<\/p>\n

\"Bradley
Bradley Clark was convicted of arson in connection with an October 2019 fire at south City Market in Durango. He spent two years in prison before his conviction was overturned on appeal. He is now fighting to clear his name. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
Where to go from here?<\/div>\n

While Clark is now free, his record wiped clean, his life has not suddenly reverted to what it was the night of his arrest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suffer still from PTSD. Every time I see a police car on the road or a police officer anywhere, I\u2019m immediately thrown into a state of panic,\u201d he said. \u201cI find it very hard to go to the grocery store. I went to the Humane Society a couple months ago looking at available dogs. The moment I walked in and I saw all those dogs in cages, I just had a panic attack. I had to get out of there, because I know what it\u2019s like to have been caged and seeing these innocent animals, in cages, barking \u2013 it\u2019s a terrible place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even the everyday task of getting groceries has become an oversized obstacle. He now brings a buddy every time he needs to go to the store \u2013 just in case.<\/p>\n

And he believes the stigma associated with the initial arrest and conviction remains.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t go out, I don\u2019t go out to eat in Durango,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t really do anything public because of the lasting effects.\u201d<\/p>\n

He offered a brief, dry chuckle when asked why he remained in a town that has so many bad memories. It\u2019s a question he has been asked before, and he has several reasons for staying.<\/p>\n

The first: His son still lives in Durango. Clark lost years he could have spent with his two children. Being there for them now, making up for his absence and providing the stable support fathers are supposed to offer is his main priority.<\/p>\n

Then there is the harsh reality of applying for new jobs with a six-year gap on the resume, and a less-than-desirable digital footprint.<\/p>\n

FLC placed Clark on paid administrative leave after his arrest, where he remained for two years as the case moved through the courts. He was terminated after his conviction and has not been reinstated since it was overturned and the case dismissed.<\/p>\n

Clark said he later reached out to the college about scheduling a meeting to discuss the justification for his termination now that the charges have been dropped and the conviction overturned. He said the only response he received was an invitation to apply to any positions that may open.<\/p>\n

FLC declined to comment for this story, citing its policy of not commenting on personnel matters.<\/p>\n

Clark is doggedly searching positions elsewhere, receiving some initial interest but no offers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt hasn\u2019t been easy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He believes his digital footprint plays a significant role.<\/p>\n

A search of his name brings up multiple news articles documenting his arrest, trials and conviction. Although more recent coverage reflects that charges were dropped, Clark said the damage is already done.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey see that and think, \u2018Why would we hire this guy?\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cDespite everything \u2013 my credentials, my experience \u2013 I\u2019ve been branded.\u201d<\/p>\n

jbowman@durangoherald.com<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

professor accused of setting fire to City Market working through repercussions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":123528,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5736,5735],"tags":[1078,741,1357,1820,28,2822,1025,6419],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-123527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news","category-news","tag-6th-judicial-district","tag-arson","tag-contests","tag-dh-trueanthem","tag-headlines","tag-justice-and-rights","tag-law-and-justice","tag-tj-trueanthem"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123527"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123527\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":128458,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123527\/revisions\/128458"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/123528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123527"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=123527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}