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PAGE 6 | THE VILLAGER • June 25, 2020
18th Judicial District DA candidates Padden and Maillaro debate BY FREDA MIKLIN GOVERNMENTAL REPORTER
On June 18, the Douglas County Democratic Party sponsored a debate between Amy Padden and Matt Maillaro, candidates in the Democratic primary for 18th Judicial District Attorney on June 30. The Republican candidate is John Kellner. Maillaro is currently assistant district attorney in the 18th Judicial District. Padden is a deputy district attorney in the 5th judicial district. Their websites are mattmaillaro. com and amypadden.com, where you can find additional information about their experience and endorsements. Before the debate, a video was shown to demonstrate that “the most powerful person in the criminal justice system is the local elected prosecutor,” because 97 percent of all criminal cases are resolved via a plea bargain that the prosecutor negotiates and approves. Before that happens, it is up to the prosecutor to make the most basic decisions, who is charged and with what crime. Maillaro said in his opening statement that he had plans to make changes to “increase public safety, increase fairness, and rebuild our community.” He said we need a
plan to get people out people are in “reducing our state’s of jail who are awaiting incarcerated over-incarceration rates.” trial and can’t afford bail at more than Those that successfully completed the program and increased use of difive times the had charges dismissed version including mental rate of white and cases sealed so they health diversion. people” and didn’t have a criminal Padden said that Latinos acrecord that would harm “people are demanding count for 31 real reform and it is time Amy Padden has percent of the Matt Maillaro wants to their future. be promoted to head Maillaro agreed and for a real change.” She served in all levels prison popof government as described the experiulation even prosecutor in the 18th described a diversion a prosecutor, now program in which he was ence of clerking for a though they Judicial District. wants to head up the federal district judge in 18th Judicial District. only comprise 21 percent involved. The moderator described “ColWashington, D.C., when of the overall population. orado’s continuing use of unjust mandatory sentencing guidelines Maillaro said we need to implemoney bail policies” that keep required that three-time crack ment a vision that changes the culpeople in jail, noting that over half cocaine offenders be given life sen- ture of the community and police of Colorado’s jail population has tences and, said Padden, “My judge interaction. District attorneys can not been convicted of a crime, but just wouldn’t have it. After one too deal with bail reform issues intermany young black men appeared in nally, giving people a chance to stay cannot afford the cost of getting out while awaiting trial. She asked what front of him, he said, “I’m not goin the community. the candidates would do in the 18th ing to do it anymore…We’re going Padden said “we need to take judicial district to end the system of to write an opinion declaring the a hard look at the prosecution wealth-based detention. sentencing guidelines unconstitudata, including charging decisions Padden said she felt that “we tional and you’re going to write the and sentences sought, to deterare essentially running debtors’ first draft.” She continued, “That mine whether race came into that prison,” due to this system, which affected my view of the criminal equation, because we know that must be stopped because it is unjustice system from the time I was a it has.” She would bring in “an conscionable. She noted that during very young attorney. We know that outside entity to look at that data, the COVID crisis, jail population the war on drugs failed. We know compile it, analyze it, and share was reduced by over 40 percent by that the criminal justice system isn’t the results.” Padden noted that it relaxing cash bail policies. She also equitable and it’s damaging young is critically important to get buynoted that it falls to the prosecutors men, particularly young black men, in from law enforcement. On the to determine how bond should be and it’s ruining their lives and it’s subject of diversion, Padden said handled. damaging their families. We have to that she recently “established and Maillaro noted that the problem have real change now.” ran an adult diversion program in extends to people feeling pressured The first question was about a different judicial district,” noting to plead guilty to charges they racial justice. In Colorado, “black that diversion is an important tool might not otherwise in order to end their cases. He would change the system to stop the most inexperienced lawyers from handling first appearance court. “I don’t believe there’s any place for cash in our criminal justice system. That’s the way it is now and that has to change.”
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the youngest person to every get elected to the board of Denver Public Schools. The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, who has been elected president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Conference of Black Mayors, and the Democratic Mayors. Said Webb, “I’m the only person who has achieved that trifecta.” He added, “Life is not a practice game. I’ve always believed in leaving it better than you found it so that others can build on it from there.” K.C. Becker, Speaker of the Colorado House, noted that the Colorado House is one of the only ones in the country to have a majority comprised of women. Of the just-ended 2020 legislative session, she said, “We focused on justice and security, protected whistleblowers, passed paid sick leave of six days minimum each year. We eliminated the death penalty in
On juvenile justice, Padden said, “I don’t believe in charging children as adults, period. The human mind is not fully developed until age 25. If we have a kid or a teenager who commits a crime, that’s on us as a society.” Pointing to a concern with the use of school resource officers, she said that it creates a situation where behaviors that would typically be handled by the school disciplinary process are now becoming part of the criminal justice system. Maillaro agreed in part but said that some teen behavior is effectively dealt with by the restorative justice system, especially if it involves behavior by a juvenile that would constitute a felony for an adult. He also said that very serious crimes like murder and sexual assault “cannot be handled by our juvenile justice system.” The candidates were asked about how their personal experiences with law enforcement have impacted their views. Maillaro said that he broke the law as a young person and was never prosecuted. At 16, he was committing a burglary when a New York police officer caught him and roughly took him home, unlike what would happen today, especially for a person of color. He appreciates that that officer gave him the opportunity to grow up without a criminal record. Padden said that when she was an assistant U.S. attorney, she was seriously threatened by an inmate at the SuperMax prison. As a victim, she appreciated the actions of the U.S. Marshalls and the FBI who investigated the case, but was sometimes frustrated also. “It was an eye-opening experience to be a part of the system as a victim.” Fmiklin.villager@gmail.com
Colorado, increased penalties for polluters, passed bipartisan legislation to protect firefighters from pollutants. We made lots of progress in a shortened session.” Secretary of State Jena Griswold said Colorado leads the country in voting rights and elections. She announced that she is adding 194 drop box locations for ballot drop-offs this year. “In Wisconsin, 180 voting locations were reduced to 5. We have to make sure that every American can have their voice heard. In Colorado, no one has to choose between their health and having their voice heard in our elections,” said Griswold. After Swalwell accidentally referred to John Hickenlooper as the Democratic candidate to beat incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, state party chair Morgan Carroll reminded Democrats that there is a primary contest between Hickenlooper and former state house Speaker Andrew Romanoff to be the Democratic standard-bearer in the upcoming election for the United States Senate. Fmiklin.villager@gmail.com
