Robert Willet is campaigning for the position of Colorado’s 12th judicial district attorney. Willet has been serving as the district attorney for Colorado’s 12th judicial district since his term began Dec. 31 of 2019 when he was appointed to the position by Governor Polis.
“After the previous DA, Crista Newmeyer-Olsenn, was selected to be a District Court judge, I was the next most senior prosecutor in our small office with very young prosecutors. Governor Polis appointed me because of my commitment to carry on with Crista’s progressive approach and also due to my experience in the criminal justice system and this office in particular,” said Willet in a recent interview with Valley Publishing.
Willet shared that he saw it as his duty to provide consistent, seasoned, and experienced leadership and continuity to the office and to carry on with the approach Newmeyer-Olsenn had initiated to provide for affective resolution of criminal cases. “I am very proud of the people in my office who make the system work. From the juvenile and adult diversion program coordinators, our DUI Court and Drug Court prosecutors, and the LEAD program coordinator (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion), to our initiation of an SVU (Special Victim’s Unit) investigator to help our partners in smaller agencies investigate and ultimately prosecute domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault type crimes. Our prosecutors, investigators, victim advocates and support people have made a positive difference in the lives of victims, the public and even the offenders themselves,” said Willet.
Willet originally from rural Missouri, joined the U.S. Army at age 17 right after high school. He spent most of his enlistment in Germany from 1979-1986. Willet was honorably discharged and moved to Colorado in 1987. Here he attended Metro State College and got his undergrad in history. In 1990 Willet was hired by the Arvada police department in metro Denver where he served as a patrol officer, detective, field training officer and academy instructor. In 2009 he left law enforcement and enrolled in law school. After graduation and passing the bar, Willet was hired to be a deputy district attorney in Alamosa by the then DA David Mahonee. Since 2013 Willet has called the San Luis Valley home.
When asked what changes Willet would like to bring to the office of DA Willet answered saying, “If I can ever get up to strength and experience level, I would like to start a “cold case,” type partnership with area law enforcement to look into unsolved homicides and other serious crimes that sometimes have not been devoted the resources they deserve. Another concept I have thrown out to area chiefs and sheriffs is a “major case squad” approach to serious crimes that happen in the Valley. Right now, it sometimes takes CBI (Colorado Bureau of Investigation) 4-6 hours to respond from Pueblo to assist local agencies process homicide and major crime scenes. I would like to facilitate a group of core local officers to respond more quickly, and in certain cases, handle the incident ourselves. The concept has garnered some positive feedback from the chiefs and sheriffs, but we will see how the present crisis plays out and if the concept can get traction going forward.”
Willet shared that some challenges he foresees in implementing these plans (aside from the present COVID-19) are resources and personnel. “I understand that the various county commissioners are in the same boat; lack of resources to adequately fund interests. I believe they do want to help, but I will try to make our position more widely understood by our friends on these commissions,” said Willet adding, “Another thing which stems from my previous comments is the turnover we have as a small office. We simply can’t match the pay of the private sector for lawyers nor even the pay and benefits of other front range DA’s offices. I have to retrain new prosecutors constantly to get them ready to prosecute serious criminal cases.”
When asked what sort of relationship he hopes to have with local media Willet answered saying, “I want the public to understand what role we play in society and in their lives. One of the things I had thought of doing is writing a monthly or quarterly column in the paper to explain what we do and what trends are emerging in criminal justice in the Valley. That is my goal. I believe the media plays a vital role in the community.” Willet shared that sometimes however he is restricted by ethical rules and pretrial publicity court orders in what he can release to the media about certain crimes.
Willet was also asked what kind of relationship he hopes to have with local police and sheriff departments. “As a former police officer, for the most part I have a good relationship with local law enforcement agencies. We do play different roles, but I have an appreciation and understanding of the work they do. I understand the sacrifice, hardship, low pay, and danger they encounter on a daily basis to protect the public. Having said this, unfortunately on several recent occasions, I have had to prosecute some officers for not living up to their legal obligations and responsibilities. It truly hurts me to do it, and fortunately it is a rare thing, but the public trust in these institutions is greater than any one person. The public deserves no less,” stated Willet.
When asked how he would implement recent legislation such as the Red Flag Bill, and the elimination of the death penalty Willet answered, “I have been a part of the conversation in previous cases involving death penalty eligible  cases here in the Valley under previous DAs. They made the decision not to seek the death penalty in those cases and I agreed with their analyses in every one of those cases. It is the weightiest decision the government can make outside of a decision to go to war. It should never be discussed in a political or frivolous manner. It never was in my experience in those previous cases.”
Willet went on to say that in regard to Red Flag type laws legislation generally puts those decisions into the hands of county attorney’s and law enforcement. “I will tell you that gun crimes are a priority with my office and will be prosecuted vigorously. However, I am a gunowner myself and understand the culture of this area and rural Colorado and the role that firearms play in our society,” said Willet.
Willet also shared about another trend which is the reclassification of certain crimes involving hard drugs (such as heroin and meth) from felonies to misdemeanors. “While I understand the desire to treat people with these addiction problems in a different manner, and avoid incarcerating them in prison, the practical affect is shifting the responsibilities from state providers to our county jails and local providers. Our jails are not equipped to handle this and the mental health issues,” said Willet.