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Vail Daily letter: Carey for district attorney

As a lifelong resident of both Lake and Eagle County, I have had the honor and privilege of knowing and maintaining relationship with many different residents throughout the entire 5th Judicial District — people from all different walks of life.

I have heard many different stories over the past four years of people making one mistake and ending up facing multiple charges that didn’t necessarily fit the crime. I’ve talked to many different devastated mothers who had children not yet completely able to understand the idea of cause and effect facing charges that could impact the outcome of the rest of their lives. I had heard that the district attorney’s mission statement of striving to always “do the right thing, to the right people,at the right time, for the right reasons” was lacking at best. I had no idea how true that was until it hit a little closer to home.

A juvenile very near and dear to my heart faced some very serious charges this past year. Although I was shocked at the District Attorney’s Office’s determination to charge her as an adult and add on as many charges as they possibly could, I understood that she was in fact involved in a crime and there was a debt that needed to be paid to society. However, I was not prepared for the incompetence and complete lack of professionalism on behalf of the DA’s office. I sat in on nearly every hearing and I was stunned as a member of the DA’s office (with multi-colored hair, looking herself like she had just come off a three-day bender) showed up late, unprepared, often confused about what was on the docket to be discussed what day. On one occasion she had to be called over to the court because she had the wrong date written down all together.



I was so angry! Not only did I believe that Colorado taxpayers and the investigating officers that spent countless hours in this matter deserved proper representation by the state, but we were also talking about a juvenile whose entire future would be impacted by the outcome of these proceedings. Both sides deserved to have this matter taken seriously and in a professional matter by the DA’s Office, and that simply didn’t happen.

I often wondered where Bruce Brown was during all of this.

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Isn’t it the sole responsibility of the district attorney to manage the prosecutors’ office and oversee the prosecution of cases in order to make sure justice is served? Why did he have so little structure and control over the Eagle office that in such a important case his office couldn’t bother to show up on time and prepared? Perhaps this case just took place during a portion of the 6 1/2 weeks he takes vacation each year, so he was simply unaware.

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of two wonderful attorneys as well as a fair and balanced judge, in the end I believe that justice was served. The punishment fit the crime without throwing the child’s entire future down the drain.

A few months ago I was served with a subpoena in a case I was not a victim in and never filled out a statement for. In fact, what little information I had on the situation was in favor of the defendant. One small incident involving a local business owner resulted in multiple charges, as often happens under the current leadership of the DA’s office. Although I personally went into the DA’s office and explained I was not a victim in this matter I still received mail and phone calls from victims’ assistance office. Finally, I flat out told the lady that it was this type of complete waste of time and taxpayers’ money by the DA’s Office that is the reason that I will be voting for Bruce Carey in November’s election.

The 5th Judicial District deserves more from the DA’s Office. Bruce Carey will not only bring a vast amount of experience to the office, but hard work, dedication and most important leadership. I have known Bruce Carey for a number of years and can assure you he is a hands-on, involved individual with great character and integrity. He understands that justice trumps convictions and children are not throwaways. Bring leadership and commitment back to the 5th Judicial District. Vote Carey for DA.

Leta Popa

Gypsum


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