John Walsh after speaking at his watch party at The Bar at Plaza 38 on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Denver. Walsh, a former U.S. attorney for Colorado, defeated Leora Joseph in the Democratic primary for Denver district attorney. In a conversation with The Denver Post on Thursday, the former U.S. attorney for Colorado discussed his vision for the Denver District Attorney’s Office and his approach to violent crime, drug prosecutions and racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
Denver police officers investigate the scene of a shooting outside of the Denver Aquarium in Denver on Feb. 14, 2024. One person was seriously injured in a shooting outside the Downtown Aquarium at 700 Water St. according to the Denver Police Department. Q: What do you mean by “demonstrated they are a danger”? Are you looking to use these federal prosecutions to keep someone you suspect of homicide in custody on federal charges while you build a state case for homicide?
…What’s really interesting about those is that they really reflect a more systemic issue. There may be defendants who don’t get the opportunity to participate in a diversion program or some sort of special probation program, but the reasons for that are complicated. Those programs often require some financial resources, and family supports, and other sorts of outside considerations that sometimes Black and Latino defendants just don’t have at the same level that Anglo defendants do.