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In September, staff from all 22 judicial districts in Colorado came together for extensive training at the annual Colorado District Attorneys’ Council (CDAC) conference. CDAC is a statewide organization representing all District Attorneys in our state. Their advocacy work can often be witnessed each year during the legislative session. At the conference, two of our dedicated employees were recognized for their hard work and advocacy in seeking justice for crime victims:
Darcy Kofol - Prosecutor of the Year 2024
Eva Mead - Victim Advocate of the Year 2024
Darcy Kofol was the lead prosecutor on the trial team that successfully prosecuted Joseph Castorena, a defendant in a quadruple homicide case. After committing a series of heinous murders, Castorena fled to Mexico. Our team worked with law enforcement in Colorado and Mexico to have Castorena extradited back to Arapahoe County to face justice. Earlier this month, he was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences plus 24 years.
As you may recall, our 18th Judicial District is in a unique undertaking of splitting a longstanding District Attorney’s Office into two separate districts. The split will occur in January 2025 and has presented a set of unique challenges. Darcy Kofol has a senior role in my Administration and her all-in approach to management has yielded positive results in recruiting and retention, as well as hiring new staff to increase our overall numbers to ensure the 18th Judicial District and newly created 23rd Judicial District will be set up for success come January.
Meanwhile, Eva Mead is known for selflessly taking on additional tasks ranging from meeting with Spanish-speaking families who need help understanding their rights to staffing the Victim Witness waiting room at the courthouse and fielding multiple calls from victims and their families who need help understanding the complex legal system. Eva is one of those incredible team members that goes above and beyond every single day.
It's rare for a single office to be recognized with just one of these statewide awards, much less two. I’m very proud of Darcy and Eva and honored to have them on Team Justice.
On a final note, we held our last Citizen’s Academy in advance of our upcoming judicial split. Currently, the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office is comprised of four counties: Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert & Lincoln counties and serves 1.1 million people. As the largest judicial district by population, we are fortunate to have several specialized units. We had record-breaking attendance for this class who learned about our Organized Crime, Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking and Special Victims Units from prosecutors who handle these cases. Our academy class ended the day at the Arapahoe County Courthouse where they were able to learn about the anatomy of a criminal trial. These opportunities are instrumental in helping our community better understand our work and how we fight for crime victims and justice each and every day.
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