News & Media
The Denver District Attorney's Office is committed to providing public information in an accurate and timely manner. News releases and officer-involved shooting decision letters are posted regularly here.
Helpful information, including court docket resources, expanded media requests and links to related agencies such as courts and law enforcement, are also provided to assist with research and access to public information.
- Communications Director: Carolyn A. Tyler
- Office: 720-913-9025
- Email: Carolyn.Tyler@denverda.org
- Main Reception: 720-913-9000
- General E-Mail: Info@DenverDA.org
- New York Times: The suspected gunman faces hate-crime charges. Here’s what that means in Colorado
- NPR's Here & Now: A Colorado district attorney on how fentanyl is affecting her city
- Denver Post: Hate crimes in Colorado happen more than anyone thought, new survey finds; Hate Free Colorado’s survey found three out of every 10 residents have experienced a hate crime within the past five years
- CBS4: Denver DA Beth McCann has a plan to combat the fentanyl crisis (Video)
-
Denver Post Opinion: New data from DA’s should direct criminal justice policies
- Associated Press: Colorado DAs unveil data dashboards on prosecutions
- Associated Press: Red Flag Laws Get Little Use as Shootings, Gun Deaths Soar
- Fox31 Denver: Are the punishments for youth gun violence appropriate for the crimes?
- Denverite: What a grand jury means for the LoDo police shooting
- Colorado Politics: COVER STORY | While SCOTUS term rocks country, Colorado Supreme Court racks up quiet accomplishments
- CNN: Some big-city district attorneys vow not to prosecute abortion cases, setting up legal clashes in red states
- Entravision: Tras las rejas por ataque racista contra obrero mexicano
- Denver Post Opinion by Beth McCann: Blaming prosecutors for crime rates that are rising everywhere has no basis in reality
- Denver Post: Denver DA debuts new unit to review cases for wrongful convictions and disproportionate sentences;City’s new Conviction Review Unit is fourth such office in the state
- Denver Post: Colorado prosecutors, public defenders talk about need for funding mental health - “This work takes a heavy toll”; Bill would allocate $500,000 to Office of the Colorado State Public Defender, Colorado District Attorney’s Council
- Fox31: Denver launches ‘Start by Believing’ campaign
- Newsbreak: Find out why Denver's DA works to remove guns from domestic abusers
- Colorado Politics: Polis, bipartisan group of advocates unveil proposal to confront fentanyl at Colorado Capitol
- Boulder Daily Camera: Uncovering human trafficking in Boulder County; District attorney’s office hires specialized investigator as other agencies push for more training, resources
- KUNC Radio: Misidentification, arrest of Black teen leads to new Colorado law changing a police eyewitness procedure
- Denver Post Op-Ed: McCann: We need data to drive Colorado’s crime prevention efforts
- Wall Street Journal: Elder Abuse Spreads, Stoked by the Pandemic; Older Americans are falling victim to fraud, physical violence and neglect as family isolation and staffing shortages erode safeguards
- Denver Gazette: As crime rates rise in Colorado, restorative justice offers hope
- 9News Denver: Restorative Denver triples caseload, hopes to expand; Program provides community-based restorative justice
- Denver Post: How to address Colorado’s violent crime increase? It’s more complicated than many want it to be
- Colorado Sun: Parents of young Coloradans killed by fentanyl call it murder. So why aren’t there more convictions? Fatal fentanyl overdoses are skyrocketing across Colorado, but there have been only a few death charges
- Epoch Times: Backlog Crisis at State Courts Will Take Years to Clear, Insiders Say
- Law Week Colorado - Behind the Scenes of the Denver DA’s Office, Victim Advocates Play a Key Role
- Denver Post - “It feels like your life doesn’t matter”: How anti-prostitution laws may make sex workers less safe; Criminalizing sex work in the name of preventing exploitation can endanger sex workers and drive them to the fringes, workers and experts say
- Colorado Sun - Denver's New Massage Parlor Ordinance Adds Investigative Power to the City's Robust Human Trafficking Units
- CBS4 Denver - Hate Crime Training Centers On Evolution, Helping Victims
- CBS4 Denver - Domestic Violence Investigator In Denver Helping ‘Springboard’ Cases Against Abusers
- Denver Post - Your honor, you’re muted: Colorado eyes the future of virtual court; After unpreceded shift online, courts returning to in-person proceedings. Some want remote access to remain.
- Westword - Denver City Council Could Consider More Mushroom Decriminalization
- Westword - Denver Animal Protection Officers Help Pets As Well As People
- Denver Post - “We can’t turn a blind eye”: New Denver court program for teens caught with guns aims to mitigate cycle of youth violence; Prosecutors have filed more juvenile gun possession cases so far this year than in all of 2016
- 9News - Denver City Council passes massage regulation designed to stop human trafficking
- Westword - Denver DA on Elijah Martinez Murder Case, Claims of Racism over Gangs
- Denverite - Denver police, lawmakers want to target illicit massage parlors to combat human trafficking
- Denver Post - Colorado has new domestic violence laws, including one meant to keep guns out of abusers’ hands
- Westword - Sexual-Assault Conviction of Byron Whitehorn a Victory for Victims
- Denver Post - Colorado Supreme Court exempts sex offenders from key 2019 decision; Ruling in 2019 prohibits sentencing defendants to prison followed by probation in same criminal case
- Axios Denver - 5 police shootings in 30 days prompt concern in Denver
- Colorado Politics - Supreme Court agrees with Denver DA, defense: Judge wrongly rejected indigent man's request
- Denver Post Op-Ed - Beth McCann: Denver DA office’s racial disparities study will inform future work
- Colorado Politics - Party-line committee vote advances reporting bill for lost, stolen guns
- Westword - Is Denver Ready for Further Mushroom Decriminalization?
- Colorado Politics - Denver DA asks Supreme Court to resolve uncertainty of sex offender sentences
- 9News (KUSA) - 'I thought I was going to die in prison': Colorado juvenile lifer walks free after 24 years
- Face2Face Africa - Three teens facing murder charges in Denver house fire that killed Senegalese family
- North Denver Tribune - McCann sworn in for Denver DA for second term
- Denver Post - For People in Denver's Restorative Justice Program, Redemption Came Through Picking up Trash, Reading Books, and Making Apologies
- Reuters - Special Report: as Jails Free Thousands Amid COVID-19, Reform Push Takes Root
- 9News Denver - Denver DA Discusses Decision to not Charge Officer in May 1 Shooting Death of William Debose
- Rocky Mountain PBS - Top Prosecutor Warns of Scams Circulating During COVID-19 Pandemic
- Death Penalty Information Center: Denver District Attorney Beth McCann on Criminal Justice Reform and Colorado's Death Penalty Repeal
- Patch: Denver DA Issues Firearms Warning Amid Coronavirus Outbreak; As Colorado Faces a Surge in Gun Sales, Denver's District Attorney Has Voiced Concerns About Mental Illness and Domestic Violence
- Denver Post: Colorado's Jail Population Drops 30% to Combat Coronavirus
- Guns & America: Case-By-Case, Gun-By-Gun: Denver Investigator Is Removing Firearms From Domestic Abusers
- Denver Post: Denver DA hires investigator to make sure domestic violence offenders turn over guns; Prosecutors hope the new hire could provide ideas for implementation of Colorado’s red flag law
- Colorado Sun Opinion: McCann - Keeping our community safe from gun violence by averting potential disaster
- Change Agents: A new wave of reform prosecutors upends the status quo, December 2019
- ABA Journal 2019 -Change Agents: A new wave of reform prosecutors upends the status quo
- Denver Post: Denver District Attorney’s Office to examine past cases for potential racial bias as McCann aligns herself with national prosecutor reform movement; Changes come as role of prosecutor is shifting
- Colorado Sun Opinion: McCann - Seeking fair and equal justice on drug policy
- Assaults Involving Firearms on the Rise in Colorado, KUNC Radio, October 2018
- District Attorneys Office Update--August 2018
- DA McCann Interview on U-Visa Process, Human Rights Watch, July 2018
- Gun Relinquishment Restraining Orders, 9News May 2018
- Criminal Justice Reform Efforts, Huffington Post May 2018
- DA McCann comments on proposed emergency protection orders legislation, Fox 31 News April 2018
- DA McCann November 2017 interview with TRT World Magazine: From Clarence Thomas to Harvey Weinstein: Changing norms on harassment
- Meet the Denver DA, 5280 Magazine, October 2017
- Harvard Law School Panel Discussion on A New Vision for the 21st Century Prosecutor Sept. 25, 2017
- Colorado Inside Out Marvin Booker Investigation
- District Attorneys Office Update-August 2017
- 303 magazine interview with Beth McCann
As crime rates rise in Colorado, restorative justice offers hope
For information and forms regarding CORA/CCJRA records requests click here.
Denver is unique in Colorado in that it is a City, County, and State Judicial District. The Denver City Council has enacted numerous municipal ordinances that regulate or prohibit conduct which is also regulated or prohibited by state law.
In many instances, charges that could be filed as violations of state law are filed by Denver Police Department officers as violations of the Denver Revised Municipal Code.
Both the Denver District Attorney and Denver City Attorney prosecute criminal offenses in Denver County Court.
Crimes Prosecuted by the District Attorney
The Denver District Attorney’s office prosecutes misdemeanors and felonies defined by state law occurring within the City and County of Denver.
Crimes Prosecuted by the City Attorney
The City Attorney prosecutes violations of city municipal ordinances (city laws) and regulatory codes created by the City of Denver; examples include: defacing property, petty theft, shoplifting, resistance, interference of a peace officer, curfew, assault, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, trespass, open container, being in the park after hours, and non-alcohol traffic violations.
Case Number Tip
District Attorney’s Office: Case numbers start with a year, then letters “CR,” “M,” or “JD,” then a number, as in 16CR01234, 17M1234, or 15JD7891
City Attorney’s Office: Case numbers start with a year, then letters “GV,” “GS,” or “D,” then a number, as in 17GS1234 or D5678, or paperwork says “General Sessions Summons and Complaint”
City Attorney’s Office Contact Information
Phone: 720-913-8050
Email: CityAttorney.Prosecution@denvergov.org
For a listing of the Denver criminal courts daily docket visit this website.
The Denver District Attorney’s Office is bound by the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct, specifically Rules 3.6 and 3.8, as to what information can be provided to the public and media prior to trial.
For a copy of those rules, click here.
For a copy of the annual letter from the Denver District Attorney to the Chief of Police describing these rules and limitations, click here.
Persons interested in obtaining the criminal history of a Denver defendant can contact:
Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
Phone: 303-239-4208
Website: www.cbirecordscheck.com
Sex Assault Victims
Identifying information of sexual assault victims is prohibited from public disclosure, 24-72-304(4), C.R.S.
Child Victims
The name and any other information that would identify any child victim of sex-related offenses is prohibited from public disclosure, 24-72-304(4.5)(a), C.R.S.
Juveniles
In general (with exceptions), law enforcement records relating to pending actions against juveniles, including their identifying information shall not be disclosed to the public, 19-1-304(2)(a), C.R.S.
Sealed Criminal Records
Upon the entry of an order to seal arrest and criminal records other than convictions, the petitioner and all criminal justice agencies may properly reply, upon any inquiry in the matter, that no such records exist with respect to the person, 24-72-702(1)(d), C.R.S.
District Court
Information about expanded media coverage requests for District Court proceedings is available at “Expanded Media Coverage Rules and Forms,” https://www.courts.state.co.us/Media/Index.cfm
The request form is available electronically, which means it does not have to be filed in person at the courthouse, at “Request for Expanded Media Coverage,” https://www.courts.state.co.us/Media/request/
The request will be routed to the clerk of court and district administrator via email, and then uploaded to the case file by the clerk for a ruling from the court.
Within the “Certificates of Service” box, if valid email addresses for the parties are entered, they will automatically be served with the EMC request. If you cannot find email contacts, you will need to print the form and serve the parties.
County Court
Information about expanded media coverage requests for County Court proceedings is available at www.denvercountycourt.org/media-section/
Denver Sheriff’s Department (City & County Jails)
https://www.denvergov.org/InmateSearch or call 720-913-3600.