Colorado Governor Appoints District Attorney In San Luis Valley, Where Previous DA Resigned

By Lindsey Toomer, Colorado Newsline

August 29, 2022

Gov. Jared Polis appointed Anne E. Kelly to the role of district attorney in Colorado?s 12th Judicial District Monday. Kelly will serve San Luis Valley after the former DA resigned earlier this summer amid violations of the state Victim Rights Act.

"Kelly has nearly 20 years of legal experience working in the private sector and with Colorado?s 18th, 19th and 20th judicial districts. Her work has primarily centered around prosecuting domestic violence and trying cases on homicide, sexual assault and fraud," according to a release from the governor?s office.

?I am honored to be selected for this role and my top priority is to restore trust in the Office of the District Attorney and the criminal justice system,? Kelly said in a news release. ?Restoring trust requires transparency, constant engagement, and implementation of effective systems while prioritizing being accessible to the community including law enforcement, victims, community groups, and defense attorneys.?

Polis welcomed Kelly to the new role and thanked her for ?answering this new and challenging call to public service.? He said his office will offer its help to Kelly as she rebuilds the DA?s office.

?Coloradans must have the opportunity to make their voices heard to make our state a better place, and that?s exactly what the people of the San Luis Valley did when they felt their concerns were not being taken seriously or treated with respect,? Polis said in a news release. ?An effective prosecutor takes the concerns of law enforcement, commissioners, and victims and works to address them through common-sense problem-solving, and I?m confident that?s what Anne Kelly will do as the new DA for the 12th Judicial District.?

Attorney General Phil Weiser has served as interim district attorney since mid-July when former DA Alonzo Payne resigned following a state investigation that found a pattern of Victim Rights Act violations in his office.

The investigation by the Department of Law found that victims of crimes under Payne?s jurisdiction had not been updated on the status of cases as required under state law, putting some victims? safety at risk.

Kelly starts as the 12th Judicial District Attorney on Sept. 1, serving Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, and Saguache Counties. She will be up for election in 2024.

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