Last Week, Governor Polis announced his appointment of Assistant District Attorney Matt Karzen to take over as the 14th Judicial District Attorney, effective July 1, 2019.  The appointment arose from District Attorney Brett Barkey’s decision to resign prior to the end of his second term to pursue volunteer and educational opportunities.

The appointment means Karzen will serve out the remainder of the current District Attorney term, through 2020, at which time the position will be on the ballot.  District Attorney Designee Karzen is considering running in November 2020, as the incumbent, for the 2021-2024 term.

“I am humbled by the confidence shown by the Governor, and I remain committed to this jurisdiction and the delivery of high quality, thoughtful, prosecution services.  As District Attorney, I look forward to earning and maintaining the confidence of the citizens of Grand, Routt and Moffat Counties and all of our law enforcement partners across the district – it is an honor to serve.  The criminal justice system generally, and rural Colorado communities in particular, face significant challenges, one of the biggest being the interaction between the court system and those suffering from profound mental illness or addiction.  It is important to me as the District Attorney, and as a citizen, to contribute to a thoughtful effort to identify effective alternatives to simply incarcerating the mentally ill or addicted, and to help the modern criminal justice system achieve a proper balance between public safety and human decency.”