The election of an attorney general is an important day for Colorado.
Phil Weiser is, by far, the best choice.
His opponent has been a prosecutor, supportive of hard-line positions on sentencing and crime who cares little for criminal justice or prison reform. His legal experience is limited to criminal prosecution.
I was fortunate to serve Attorney General Salazar. Ken was an independent voice for the people, unafraid to take the governor and legislature to court when they acted contrary to law or the Constitution. Before he was elected, Ken had broad legal experience, in private practice, serving as governor’s counsel and director of Natural Resources, but he had virtually no criminal law experience. He was a great attorney general, aware the Department of Law was composed of 10 separate legal departments, ranging from Natural Resources and Water Law to Consumer Protection. Of the over 200 lawyers in that office, less than 10 percent are involved in direct criminal prosecution.
Phil Weiser, former dean of the CU Law School, has the wide range of legal, life and professional perspectives Colorado needs. He is not a single-dimensional lawyer. He will stand up and fight the White House and anyone who defies the rule of law or seeks to harm our civil liberties or environment. He will represent all of us, not a select few.
We need a leader and captain to take the helm at the attorney general’s office: Phil Weiser.
Michael McLachlan
Durango
