Mary Keenan says she is the one for the job

Discussion in 'Justice for JonBenet Discussion - Public Forum' started by Tricia, Aug 8, 2004.

  1. Tricia

    Tricia Administrator Staff Member

    DA Keenan still works the courtroom
    Prosecutor's record examined as she vies for re-election

    By Christine Reid, Camera Staff Writer
    August 8, 2004

    District Attorney Mary Keenan says she loves her job and hopes to stay on as Boulder County's top prosecutor for another four years.

    And only one thing stands in her way — defense attorney Jason Savela. The last-minute write-in candidate, a Democrat-turned-Republican, is the only competition the incumbent will face this fall.


    Advertisement



    "It's always good for the voters to have a choice," said Keenan, a Democrat. "I hope the voters take a look at the full records."

    Savela said he entered the race partly because of Keenan's recent run-in with the University of Colorado football program.

    In a sworn deposition as part of a civil lawsuit filed against the school, Keenan accused the program of using sex as a "bartering tool" to lure football recruits.

    Her comments, which she says she never thought would be made public, thrust her into the national spotlight.

    "I think Mary has had her share of criticism, fair or foul, from her position on the CU stuff," said Adams County District Attorney Bob Grant. But he said that has not detracted from what other district attorneys think about her.

    She is respected by her peers, Grant said, and testament to that is her election by the state's 22 district attorneys to become the next Colorado District Attorney's Council president.

    In 2000, Keenan earned 56.4 percent of the vote to win the seat vacated by 28-year veteran Alex Hunter.

    A self-proclaimed nonpolitician, Keenan vowed to take more meaningful cases to trial and raise the bar for plea deals.

    Before she took the helm, Boulder and Larimer counties tied for the lowest felony trial rate — the percentage of defendants charged who go to trial — in the state.

    Last year, Boulder County had the fifth-lowest trial rate among Colorado's 23 judicial districts, according to state court records.

    Keenan said the increase from 17 trials in 2000 — the year before she took office — to 31 last year has been accomplished by priming prosecutors with training and mentoring.

    She said it wasn't a case of trying to reach a number of felony trials, although each of her 26 prosecutors is expected to try three to five cases a year.

    "These were important cases," Keenan said.

    She pointed to the conviction of Anthony Andrusyk for manufacturing methamphetamine in a Louisville hotel, and the successful prosecution of Justin Alan Andreae, accused of running a cyclist off the road in Left Hand Canyon.

    Keenan vowed during her 2000 campaign to try to bring justice to the highly publicized unsolved 1996 JonBenet Ramsey homicide case. After Boulder police worked the case for six years, Keenan's office took over the investigation in 2002. Soon after, she hired veteran investigator Tom Bennett to examine the case.

    Keenan talks little about the investigation, but last year she publicly agreed — based on the evidence presented — with the ruling of a judge in a civil suit connected with the case that an intruder most likely killed 6-year-old JonBenet on Dec. 26, 1996.

    The comment was heralded by supporters of the girl's parents, who police said were under suspicion in the crime. Her remarks were criticized by Internet sleuths who petitioned Gov. Bill Owens to take Keenan off the case
    *snip*

    http://www.bouldernews.com/bdc/election/article/0,1713,BDC_16316_3096437,00.html
     
  2. Sylvia

    Sylvia FFJ Senior Member

    Don't make me laugh, that woman is a weak copy of Hunter and doing even a worse job! She gave the Ramsey a free ticked when she endorsed Judge Carnes ruling, which was not representative for the actual case, nor based on all evidence gathered. It was about a lame lawsuit brought to court by an even lamer lawyer, with a special agenda. A lame lawyer who not only failed look at the welfare of his client, but didn’t show up in court when he was suppose to be there. It is time someone with guts becomes D.A. Maybe then there is still a slight chance for justice done!
     
  3. Deja Nu

    Deja Nu Banned

    In the Spring of 2004, members of Forums for Justice not only presented Gov. Owens with a huge petition demanding replacement of Mary Keenan on the Ramsey case, but sound legal argument that the longstanding legal precedence supporting Keenan's removal in the Pease case was more than sufficient grounds for Gov. Owens to appoint a special prosecutor and relieve Mary Keenan of her custodial rights to the case. Despite continued follow up by FFJ with Gov. Owens' staff, the governor has continued to ignore our demands without even the courtesy of a response.

    Gov. Owens will retire this Fall and be replaced by a new governor in CO. Mary Keenan's opposition, Jason Savela, is young and has a professional history of criminal defense work, not prosecution, in the very face of government corruption which is what the Ramsey case, and politics in general in CO, is exclusively about. Nevertheless, his website offers the appearance of a determined advocate for justice. It is my opinion as a legal professional that whatever shortcomings may exist in Mr. Savela's track record, it remains far more stellar than Keenan's performance for the last 7 1/2 years on the Ramsey case, and many others. I have been in contact with Mr. Savela to ascertain his position on the Ramsey case before FFJ lends its powerful support to his campaign and will post any information I receive from Mr. Savela.

    Representatives of JonBenet Ramsey and the people of CO have the right to beseech the CO state legislature for intervention due to Gov. Owens' refusal to do his job and should the DA elections result in Keenan's retention of her much-beloved job simply because she holds the title of Miss Popularity with other county prosecutors.

    Perhaps this will be the year in which JonBenet's death won't be in vain for the sake of politics, favoritism and wealthy influence. It should be..... :justice:
     
  4. Elle

    Elle Member

    Thanks for the information on Jason Savela, Deja, I look forward to reading more information about him.
    It's good you have decided to give him your support.
    If there's anything I can do. let me know. I was pleased to read this young man had decided to run for the D.A. position in Boulder. He is young at 33 but I'm sure he would do a better job than Mary Keenan.

    As for Governor Owens. I was disappointed in his lack of interest in the JonBenét case, after Tricia's valiant efforts to present him with the petition. At least she tried, that's more than we can say for him. What goes around comes around, Deja. He'll rue the day!
     
  5. Watching You

    Watching You Superior Bee Admin

    Well, he11, Boulder doesn't seem to care much that Mary Keenan continues to make them look really stupid. They should have run her out of town on a rail long ago, and Alex Hunter before her. But, they didn't.

    As far as I'm concerned, Boulder residents have to shoulder at least some of the blame and a lot of the shame for allowing their DA to embarrass them the way she has and for not voicing their displeasure with her inclusive little Lou Smit/Lin Wood society and the way she has handled (or not) the JBR investigation.

    I mean, what the hell, JonBenet's gone on to a better place, right? And, the umbrella people have moved on with their lives, right? Why belabor what happened eight years ago? It's over, people.

    Well, no, it's not over. Not by a long shot.
     
  6. JC

    JC Superior Cool Member

    I'm just glad Keenan has an opponent. I was under the impression one had surfaced more than a month or so ago but can't find that thread.

    I had been thinking all along Keenan was republican.
    With this man running on the republican ticket, like unto Ramsey, well ... dog. Ramsey, supported by Yob, put a stinker on the republican party for me.

    I see he is democrat turned republican. I imagine he changed tickets only to give the people of the county a choice in the DAs race. That's a good thing, imho.
     
  7. Elle

    Elle Member

    I agree with you WY If the Boulder residents had banded together and asked for the resignation of D.A. Alex Hunter for his bad handling of the JonBenét case, maybe Steve Thomas might have had a chance to be heard, plus same again with D.A. Mary Keenan and her handling of the football scandal. One has to wonder how these Boulder residents arrive at voting for these two pathetic DA's (?)

    D.A. Keenan should be confronted for being a "yes" woman where Judge Carnes decision was concerned. Neither one of them bothered to double check the "real" evidence. They just went by what they read on paper without giving it another thought. Even the stupid suitcase which Fleet White moved was considered as "intruder evidence" Unbelievable!
     
  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice