In Pete Weir's opinion, there is no higher calling and greater responsibility than to be a district attorney.And as the district attorney for the 1st Judicial District in Colorado, Weir said he feels privileged to have served the people of Jefferson and Gilpin counties for the past four years.
"This is a great community," he said. But "all of that starts with public safety."
Weir, 63, is running in the upcoming election to serve another four years as district attorney. The seat is limited to two four-year terms.
He is running against Jake Lilly, an Army veteran who works as a criminal defense attorney in Lakewood. A candidate profile of Lilly will appear in an upcoming edition of the paper.
Weir has 37 years of criminal justice experience. In brief, he started out as a deputy district attorney in Colorado Springs after earning his law degree in 1979 from the University of Denver's College of Law. In 1986, he began his career in the 1st Judicial District, first as a deputy district attorney, and in 2010 as senior chief deputy district attorney.
"I needed somebody that had a lot of experience in prosecution," then-District Attorney Scott Storey said. Weir "was the perfect fit for it."
Through the years, Weir has been the executive director of the Colorado District Attorneys' Council and executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety.
Weir also has experience in private practice from the early 1980s, specializing in litigation and federal criminal defense. From November 2004 to January 2007, he served as a district court judge in Colorado's 1st Judicial District."He knows what's going on ... from top to bottom," said John Suthers, mayor of Colorado Springs who has known Weir professionally for about 36 years. "He is a rock star in the prosecution arena."
Weir provides the public with a "good mix," Storey said. He is a creative thinker for innovative programs, but he is also an aggressive prosecutor, Storey said.Weir takes pride in being able to distinguish between a "good citizen who has made a mistake" and a criminal who poses a serious threat to the community, he said.
During his first term as district attorney, Weir was the first in the state to implement a dedicated human trafficking unit, he said.
Human trafficking "demands a focused effort," Weir said. "This is an abysmal, horrific crime and there's no place for it in Jefferson County."
Weir has also seen a lot of success with the internet child sex offender program, commonly known by its mascot Cheezo. The unit has given more than 150 presentations to K-12 students, Weir said, and since the program's inception, 800 pedophiles have been caught.
"It's a remarkable program," he said. "It continues to thrive."
Among other accomplishments, Weir names the implementation of the Veterans Treatment Court, addressing the challenges of sexting with teens, educational programs such as Senior Law Day and helping to inform the greater community about how to prevent becoming a victim.
If elected for a second term, Weir said, the public can expect him to maintain the programs that have seen success and begin to implement others.
A big focus, Weir said, is to work toward addressing juvenile substance abuse and prevention.
"We cannot wait until a person becomes an adult and is swept into the court system to address a substance abuse problem," Weir said.
Weir believes experience is a key factor to being a successful district attorney.
"It's critically important to know your community," Weir said. "There's no substitute for lengthy experience."
Former Gov. Bill Ritter has known and worked with Weir for the past seventeen years, he said. He believes Weir "has been the face of justice in Jefferson County."
He added Weir's strongest attribute as a leader "is that he listens and is thoughtful and fair in how he responds."
from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://goldentranscript.net/stories/Jeffco-DA-to-make-run-at-a-second-term,234844?branding=15
No comments:
Post a Comment