9th Judicial District

State of Colorado                                    

                                                                  

January 24, 2012

District Attorney Martin Beeson formally announces his candidacy for a second full term as 9th Judicial District Attorney. 

 

 

Martin Beeson formalized his candidacy for re-election today, announcing that he will seek his second full term as Colorado’s 9th Judicial District Attorney.  Citing the accomplishments of the office during his tenure, Beeson stated that he has “established a record worthy of the trust the citizens of this district have reposed in [him] as District Attorney.” 

 

Among the accomplishments touted during Beeson’s tenure are attracting and hiring highly qualified, professional prosecutors who maintain the highest degree of integrity and respect; aggressively prosecuting the worst of the criminal element in our communities; winning convictions that put these hardened criminals behind bars for hundreds of years, thus making our communities safer; and transitioning the office into the age of 21st century prosecution with a state-of-the-art electronic file management system. 

 

With regard to the professionalism of his prosecutors and the tremendous results they have obtained, Beeson pointed out that two from his office have been rewarded with elevation to the bench and have become judges in the district.  The remaining prosecutors have pressed on with the business of diligently and relentlessly pursuing truth and justice for those citizens who have been victimized by crime.  To highlight this achievement, Beeson cited ten cases that have resulted in over 400 years of imprisonment for convicted criminals.  Those cases include:

 

Jerry Snider, Jr.                                 Life without parole plus 48 years for murder / aggravated robbery

Samuel Kingman Lincoln               90 years for attempted murder / aggravated robbery /first degree assault/

                                                             burglary    

Daniel Renwick                                 60 years for attempted murder of a police officer

Heath Johnston                                48 years for murder

Christopher Carlyle                          36 years for sexual exploitation of a minor

Jesus Hernandez                              30 years for murder

Robin Clifton                                     24 years for arson

Aaron Rabidue                                  18 years for assault / burglary

Matthew Weaver                              14 years for sexual assault

Jose Perez-Preciado                         14 years for drug trafficking

 

“For honest, decent folks,” Beeson said, “this is a record you can trust.”  He went on to declare that “This achievement has led to safer homes, safer streets, and safer communities.  For murderers, rapists, drug dealers, and violent criminals, the message is clear:  You will be relentlessly pursued until justice is won.” 

 

Beeson said that one of the more visionary achievements of the office during his tenure has been the transformation of the way business is conducted.  When he first took office, handling case files involved the cumbersome process of lugging into court many boxes filled with hard files.  Fumbling with those files each time a new case was called by the court was awkward and slow.  Under his leadership, however, his was the first office to completely discard the old system and rely solely upon electronic files in court, thus making his office a statewide trail blazer in the goal of going “paperless”.  “We now just take our laptop computers into court.  All of the information and files we need are stored in the laptop.  This provides quick, easy access and makes court time more efficient.”  Beeson went on to say that “We are very pleased with this achievement.  It demonstrates the type of innovative leadership that has always been characteristic of the pioneers of the western slope.  It broke the mold and transformed this small rural office into a leaner and more efficient business model.”

 

Beeson said that he remains committed to the mission of the office, which is “to seek justice for the victims of crime, to pursue justice for the communities through the fair and ethical prosecution of those who commit crimes, and to earn and maintain the trust and respect of the people he is honored and privileged to serve.”  He also remains committed to fiscal responsibility as he recognizes the special faith and trust reposed in him by the taxpayers who fund his office.  To this end, he has operated under budget each and every year he has been in office.  “This is no small accomplishment,” he said, “especially in light of the complexities, length, and expensive nature of some of the very serious cases the office has had to prosecute.” 

 

Beeson has a broad array of professional experience and education.  Upon completion of his service in the United States Marine Corps, he was honorably discharged in 1980.  He thereafter earned his law degree from Baylor University in 1982.  He is a former partner and small business owner of a law firm of ten attorneys.  He has also lived and worked overseas, teaching at the university level in Beijing, China and in Yenice, Turkey.  He lives in beautiful Rifle, Colorado with his wife and three boys.