Aurora Expects Reform And Trust In New District Attorneys Serving The Area
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - New leadership in criminal justice could set a different path for Aurora and many other communities around the Denver metro area. New district attorneys will take over the 17th and 18th judicial districts which splits Aurora in half.
"We have to think how much trauma the City of Aurora has been through," said Omar Montgomery, the President of the Aurora Chapter of the NAACP and a vigilant watcher of the two DA races. "We need DAs, we need law enforcement, we need judges, who understand this community deserves to be paid attention to. And that we can get some reform to begin building trust."
John Kellner is believed to have enough votes to take over in the 18th Judicial District which includes Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties.
Brian Mason is the 17th Judicial District Attorney-Elect representing Adams and Broomfield counties.
"My two top priorities are to keep the community safe and make our criminal justice system better. I believe firmly those two priorities are not mutually exclusive," Mason said.
Along with the appointment of Chief Vanessa Wilson at the Aurora Police Department in August, there's a belief that a fresh start from these leaders can bring change to Aurora after a lengthy list of controversies.
"We have a lot of work to do in Aurora and hopefully make an impact," said Mason, an Aurora native. "Not just the roll of the district attorney, but the inequities in our system that we have to address."
Mason says he can't speak about specific cases, like protesters recently charged or a review of the Elijah McClain case, until he takes office next year.
"I can look at any case that merits review both cases that are still pending within the office or cases that have occurred before. I believe it's the role of the district attorney to do the right thing at all times, in every case. I intend to create a conviction integrity unit," Mason said.
"I think he's going to bring a vision of transparency, working with the community and engaging those who are most critical in the judicial system and figuring out what can be done different so we can begin to build that trust," Montgomery said about Mason. "Let's do something different this time. Let's engage these people we've put behind bars. Let's figure out what to do with their cases so they're not traumatized for the rest of their lives."
Activists like Montgomery see this as an opportunity to bring the change that thousands of protesters were in the streets demanding.
"I'm excited, I'm optimistic, but now we've got to get the work done once these elections are over," Montgomery said.