Office of the District Attorney
18th Judicial District
February 2022
District Attorney John Kellner
We are back to operating full-speed ahead! Our courtrooms opened back up for jury trials on Feb. 11, so that will be a help in clearing up the COVID backlog.

The General Assembly is back in session, and I work with my team to bring our first-hand knowledge and experience to the legislature. I testified in support of SB 49, which would update the Victims Rights Act to better support victims of crime. Others in my office have testified in favor of SB 24, which would strengthen the crime of “intimidating a witness”; we expressed concerns about HB 1131, which would immunize juveniles ages 10-12 from justice system interventions for all crimes except homicide; and in favor of HB 1056, which would help provide emergency temporary shelter to children. 

 We held our very first warrant clearance event, and it was a huge success. The Arapahoe County event resulted in 101 warrants being cleared. It’s an example of the collaborations and partnerships we leverage to better serve our community. We are evaluating this to determine when and if we might want to do something similar in a different location to offer access to people in other parts of our jurisdiction.

And while our courthouse dog, Fancy, helps victims through some very serious situations, she has a lighter side. Check out Fancy’s very own Instagram account to see what she is up to in her down time: @CO.CourtDogFancy_V.

The 18th Judicial District (JD) is comprised of four counties:

Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln.

Our office proudly serves over 1.1 million people.

The 18th JD is the most populated judicial district in the state of Colorado.

Spotlight
Organized Crime Unit
The 18th Judicial District (JD) is proud of our dedicated Organized Crime Unit (OCU) which sets out to tackle drug traffickers, gang members, and individual violent offenders who continue to plague our community and lead to a disproportionate amount of the murders, shootings, burglaries and violent assaults.  The prosecutors in OCU work with task forces from the inception of cases. OCU not only works with RAVEN, DEA, HSI, local gang and drug units, but also works with the more than 20 agencies in the 18th JD to target the most violent offenders and strategizes how to best dismantle organized crime groups. 

These investigative groups strategize with our OCU to focus on problem areas and work to prove cases. In order to do this, OCU prosecutors are available from the start of these cases and use advanced investigatory techniques (PINGS, trackers, OTA’s, wiretaps, COCCAs, Grand Jury, CIs) to prosecute these groups to the fullest.  

Prosecutors ensure that drug traffickers, gang members, and violent offenders are monitored on pretrial and then prosecuted to the fullest capacity, to prevent future violent crimes. On OCU cases, offenders are put on notice that their violent actions in the 18th JD have consequences and that they will be prosecuted to the fullest.  

Photo: Darcy Kofol, Chief Deputy District Attorney
Photos by Andy Cross, Denver Post
Drug Trafficking: 19 people indicted in drug-distribution ring

110,000 fentanyl pills, 13 pounds of meth, 8 pounds of heroin, 24 pounds of cocaine and $450,000 in cash hidden in houses, apartments and secret compartments in cars. News release is here.
In the News
Fix the loophole that will soon allow some felons to possess guns

District Attorney John Kellner's op-ed in the Denver Post is here.
The Second Chances warrant clearance event in Arapahoe County on Feb. 12 was a great success: 101 warrants were cleared. (Some people had more than one warrant)

These are people who for one reason or another fell out of compliance and a judge issued a warrant for their arrest. Whether it was because of a missed court date, an unpaid fine or unmet probation obligations, these people went about life knowing that any random contact with law enforcement could lead to an arrest, booking and jail.

Photo: Volunteers from the Office of District Attorney, 18th Judicial District
ICYMI - Prosecutorial Performance Indicators
VIDEO: Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA) held a free webinar in January to discuss Prosecutorial Performance Indicators (PPIs) as an effective tool to increase prosecutorial effectiveness and accountability. Professor Don Stemen of Loyola University and District Attorney John Kellner of the 18th Judicial District of Colorado discussed strategies to facilitate the multi-jurisdictional use of PPIs and obtain buy-in for a data-driven approach across offices. Presenters shared their experiences and expertise on developing targeted solutions for cross-jurisdictional challenges, including community engagement, to ensure successful implementation of a statewide PPI model.
State Legislature
Photo: (Co-Prime Sponsors) Senator Rhonda Fields and Senator Bob Gardner with District Attorney John Kellner.

DA John Kellner testified in support of Senate Bill 49 Victim Rights Act before Senate Judiciary Committee.

Bill is here: SB49
Andrew Steers, Chief Deputy District Attorney, testified in support of Senate Bill 24 Intimidating a Witness Changes before Senate Judiciary Committee.

Bill is here: SB24
Sarah Ericson, Director of Diversion, testified in support of House Bill 1056 Emergency Temporary Care for Children before House Public & Behavioral Health & Human Services Committee.

Bill is here: HB1056
Kristine Rolfes, Deputy District Attorney, testified remotely in opposition to HB1131 Reduce Justice-involvement For Young Children before House Judiciary.

Bill is here: HB1131
#FollowingFancy
Community Conversations

A quarterly town hall is part of DA Kellner's community-focused effort.

Wednesday March 30
6:00pm-7:00pm

Agenda:
FENTANYL
Peddling Poison ~
A Public Safety Risk

To Register: Click here

Links to past events are below.
In the Courtroom
People v. Christensen

Arapahoe District Court Judge Ryan Stuart sentenced retired police officer Curtiss Christensen to 90 days in jail for purchasing a rifle for a convicted felon, Scott Campbell, who later set pipe bombs in an Aurora neighborhood. Christensen's crime was uncovered during the investigation into Campbell. Christensen pleaded guilty to one count of straw purchase of a firearm, a Class 4 felony.

Scott Campbell pleaded guilty to one count of attempted first-degree murder, a Class 2 felony; and one count of possession of a weapon by a previous offender, a Class 6 felony. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Photos: Left: Scott Campbell and Right: Curtiss Christensen

People v. Turner

Kelly Renee Turner was sentenced Wednesday. Feb. 9, to 16 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections for killing her daughter Olivia.

"This is not a perfect outcome, but this is not a perfect case,” said “I’m proud of our team that fought so hard for justice — after so many years — for little Olivia. By pleading guilty, the defendant admits what she did to Olivia. She also lied about her daughter’s condition and using those lies to her own financial gain. This is a despicable crime, and absolutely this defendant deserves to serve years behind bars.”
~District Attorney John Kellner ~
People v. Hrdlicka

A Denver man, Theodore Hrdlicka, who shot indiscriminately at drivers in Littleton, was sentenced Jan. 26 to 30 years in the Department of Corrections.

Arapahoe County District Court Judge Shay Whitaker sentenced Theodore Hrdlicka, 51, after he pleaded guilty in November 2021 to three counts of attempted first-degree murder extreme indifference. Other counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Data Dashboards
How It Started

“I pledged during my campaign to be open and transparent, and this tool is one step in fulfilling that promise. We are public servants, and the public has a right to meaningful information about what we do. These interactive Data Dashboards provide more information about our operations to the public. I believe this increased access to information will shed more light on the criminal justice process for my constituents.”
~District Attorney John Kellner~
Community Engagement & Education
Here to Educate, Protect, and Serve.

The District Attorney’s Office hosts, supports, and attends community events to provide an important presence in making community members aware that we are here to listen and to help work with them to strengthen the community against crime and violence.

If you are interested in having our office speak to your organization or participate in a public safety-related event, please Contact Us
Presentations
Consumer Fraud
Protection Unit

Schedule a date and topic to hear
about current trends, concerns, and fraudulent activities in our district, around Colorado, and nationally. New subjects are offered monthly.

Stay informed!

Schedule Presentation:
Subscribe to CFP Newsletter:
DA18 Flyer: Community-Focused
(Click on images for full PDF version)
Reports
PEACE OFFICER CREDIBILITY DISCLOSURE NOTIFICATION


Effective January 1, 2022: Consistent with the requirements under state law, our office has adopted and implemented a policy based on the model created by the Peace Officer Credibility Disclosure Notification Committee pursuant to Senate Bill 21-174.This policy seeks to establish uniform and consistent standards requiring law enforcement agencies to disclose specific information to the district attorney that may impact the credibility of a peace officer in a criminal prosecution, and to establish procedures for the district attorney to timely disclose such information to the defense under the Colorado Rules of Criminal Procedure and to increase transparency to allow members of the public to access information concerning peace officers who are subject to a credibility disclosure notification.
Job Opportunities
We are Hiring!
Interested in joining the District Attorney’s office for the largest jurisdiction in Colorado with easy access to the Denver Metro Area? Click Here

We offer a generous benefits package, including but not limited to medical, dental, vision, 401K matching, paid holidays and PTO.  
 
Additionally, the 18th Judicial District also provides:
• Career advancement opportunities
• Trainings / Continuing Education 
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness opportunities for those who qualify.
Sign up for
newsletter here: