To Bradley Clark, it feels like he has a scarlet letter permanently emblazoned on his chest.
“A,” not for adulterer, but arsonist.
“That’s a brand that doesn’t go away,” Clark said. “I mean, besides being branded a rapist or a child molester, I can’t think of a worse brand to have. I mean, just the word makes me ill.”
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.
Over that period, he sat through 2½ 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.
The conviction was later overturned.
In 2023, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that evidence had been improperly admitted during the trial – 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.
Clark believes that earlier incident set the stage for everything that followed.
“That was the initial branding,” he said. “It 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.”
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’s 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.
“I’ve had my life essentially destroyed,” he said. “I’ve had roughly six years of my life stolen from me – time with my children that can never be replaced. The impacts are indelible.”
Clark remembers feeling disbelief when the guilty verdict was first read.
“I was by myself – my family wasn’t in court at that moment,” he said. “It was announced, my attorneys and I exchanged a few quick words, and then I found myself standing on the sidewalk thinking, ‘What do I do now?’”
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.
“My experience has shown me there is no balance,” he said. “It is skewed in the interests of the state, not the accused.”
As a professor, Clark said he used to encourage students to give the system the benefit of the doubt – something he no longer believes is warranted.
“The system failed me,” he said.
Clark has become sharply critical of laws that shield prosecutors and judges from consequences. Prosecutorial immunity, he argued, allows misconduct to go unchecked.
“It’s troubling that prosecutors and judges can make serious mistakes or act improperly and there’s no meaningful recourse,” he said.
He also faults the judge in his case for allowing evidence of the 2007 arrest to be presented to jurors – a decision later deemed unconstitutional by the appellate court.
“That was a glaring mistake,” Clark said. “And yet the judge retired scot-free.”
Clark believes both prosecutors and judges should face stronger accountability when legal errors contribute to wrongful convictions.
“I don’t think they care about guilt or innocence,” he said. “I think they care about conviction rates and public opinion. District attorneys are elected – they have to show results.”
District Attorney Sean Murray declined to comment for this story, citing rules that prohibit Colorado prosecutors from discussing closed and sealed cases.
While Clark is now free, his record wiped clean, his life has not suddenly reverted to what it was the night of his arrest.
“I suffer still from PTSD. Every time I see a police car on the road or a police officer anywhere, I’m immediately thrown into a state of panic,” he said. “I 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’s like to have been caged and seeing these innocent animals, in cages, barking – it’s a terrible place.”
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 – just in case.
And he believes the stigma associated with the initial arrest and conviction remains.
“I don’t go out, I don’t go out to eat in Durango,” he said. “I don’t really do anything public because of the lasting effects.”
He offered a brief, dry chuckle when asked why he remained in a town that has so many bad memories. It’s a question he has been asked before, and he has several reasons for staying.
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.
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.
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.
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.
FLC declined to comment for this story, citing its policy of not commenting on personnel matters.
Clark is doggedly searching positions elsewhere, receiving some initial interest but no offers.
“It hasn’t been easy,” he said.
He believes his digital footprint plays a significant role.
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.
“They see that and think, ‘Why would we hire this guy?’” he said. “Despite everything – my credentials, my experience – I’ve been branded.”
jbowman@durangoherald.com
