NEWS RELEASE
BOULDER COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
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The District Attorney’s Fresh Start Program was held at the Boulder County Justice Center and Longmont Courthouse on Saturday.
Saturday’s event was the third Fresh Start Program for the 20th Judicial District. For the first time, due to the pandemic, participants also were afforded the option to attend virtual court.
This highly innovative program is designed to give individuals with active warrants stemming from non-violent, low-level misdemeanor or traffic cases an opportunity to resolve their warrant(s) and move toward a resolution in their case. Nearly all the participants had received a letter sent by the District Attorney’s Office to their home address, which reflects that these individuals had neither gone into hiding nor fled the jurisdiction. This program resolves open warrants and cases, while saving law enforcement the significant resources that would have been expended in the arrest and custody process.
A total of 73 people participated in the program on Saturday. Over 97 warrants were resolved. Once again, this program was the result of an incredible collaboration between the District Attorney’s Office, Boulder City Attorney’s Office, judges, criminal defense attorneys, immigration attorneys, courthouse staff and the Sheriff’s Office.
District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated, “It was an amazing day. This program is a unique opportunity for people to get their cases, and their lives, back on the right track. The sense of relief for participants was palpable. This program saves law enforcement resources and taxpayer dollars. I am very grateful for the collaboration that went into it. Those who volunteered to work on Saturday made a real difference in the lives of 73 people. Special thanks to Chief Deputy District Attorney Adrian Van Nice for her leadership and commitment; she made this program a reality.”
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