DENVER — The Democratic candidate who wins the primary for Denver's District Attorney on June 25 will be the only name on the November ballot for the city's job of top prosecutor. The current DA, Beth McCann, declined to run for reelection after serving since 2017.
Fighting crime and keeping the community safe is part of the job description. Right now two candidates — Leora Joseph and John Walsh — are fighting to win one case. They're hoping to convince voters to select them as the next DA.
The role of district attorney is a powerful position in the criminal justice system. The DA decides what charges to file against people accused of crimes.
Joseph and Walsh have years of legal experience. Joseph was a local prosecutor and now runs the state's behavioral health office. Walsh is a former U.S. Attorney.
"We can't ignore crime anymore and we need to find more meaningful consequences to get rid of recidivism," Joseph said.
"Over the last five or so years, watching the city struggle with some basic issues of community safety has been nothing short of heartbreaking," Walsh said.
McCann gave her endorsement to Walsh, against whom she ran for Denver district attorney in 2004. Both of them lost. Mitch Morrissey won and stayed in that seat from 2005 to 2017.
"I think it is really important we bring an energy and a vibrancy to an office to address the many issues we are facing right now. I know from experiencing running a large prosecution office you first have to get into the office to understand what is working right and what is not working right," said Walsh.
"I think DA McCann is looking to preserve her legacy and I think, I am running on big change, and she is looking for someone to continue the work she has done," said Joseph.
Joseph is running on a platform of "big change". She wants all cases to follow a model called vertical prosecution — which means the same prosecutor stays on a case from start to finish. She also wants to prioritize crime victims, cases of gun violence, and people struggling with severe mental health challenges.
"Jail isn’t the right option. Ignoring them isn’t the right option either, and so I plan to use the tools I have to change how we move people into treatment," she said.
She said the criminal justice system is not the right place to serve as a treatment center. One of the ways she hopes to move people into treatment is by using civil courts. A court order can admit someone into community-based outpatient treatment.
Joseph said she also wants victims to be referred to specialized units for serious crimes like sexual assault and domestic violence. She plans to hire a police accountability director, and increase restorative justice opportunities.
"Someone that is going to be really hyper-focused on public safety and making sure that victims and community is being heard in their quest for justice," she said.
Walsh wants to address violent crime, specifically youth violence. He hopes to focus on youth development programs and not just diversion programs for when kids get in trouble.
"It is so important we address the issue of violent crime and we work on the question of youth violence not just by prosecution, but making sure we take steps to make sure our schools are safe and that we help give kids opportunities and development possibilities to keep them out of trouble," he said.
Walsh wants to address the fentanyl epidemic by expanding drug court and probation programs. He is also focused on dramatically reducing car theft and catalytic converter theft by creating a motor vehicle task force. He also is prioritizing building relationships with the community to make downtown safe.
"Bringing a combined government approach and community approach to make our central business district - our downtown feel safe and be safe," he said.
While Walsh has support from DA McCann, the police union is backing Joseph. Officers work closely with the DA's office. They hand off investigations to them for prosecution.
"I have worked side by side with police officers for over 20 years handling really serious cases," Joseph said. "I have also held police officers accountable. I have been able to do both and I plan to continue to do both."
Walsh said he has a good relationship with patrol officers in Denver. He's not discouraged without the endorsement from the police union.
"In some ways not having the police union support is that independence and neutrality that will make it easier for me to do the job," he said.
McCann, who is endorsing Walsh, used to be Joseph's boss. She worked in that office for less than four months. McCann told 9NEWS the departure was mutual.
Walsh ran for Denver DA 20 years ago, and lost that race.
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