The Better Way DA

Tammy is the District Attorney Candidate offering Reason, Experience and Justice for our community. She is a Colorado Native,with 19 years experience as an attorney and 12 years experience as a prosecutor. She has been a prosecutor in Routt County in the past (2005 and 2006) and has extensive experience in crimes against children, domestic violence, and serious felony prosecutions. In 2007 she was one of two finalists nominated by the 14th Judicial Nominating Committee for District Court Judge. Tammy lives in Steamboat Springs, CO with her husband, Carl, and her two teenage children. She has a private law practice in Steamboat Springs, and also works part time as an Assistant County Attorney for Moffat County handling child abuse cases and child support enforcement.Tammy Stewart offers positive change for our District Attorney'sOffice.

Platform for A Better District Attorney's Office

Tammy proposes the following policies and programs to improve the the operation of the District Attorney's Office:

*Increased Community Safety through a strengthened battle against individuals selling, distributing, or manufacturing drugs in our community.

Why? There is a continuing drug distribution and manufacturing problem in our community that has to be addressed with force in order to gain ground. Law enforcement and prosecution efforts need to increase against the sellers and distributors of drugs. Prosecutors must require harsh penalties for these crimes, and be prepared to prioritize it due to the serious effect these crimes have at every level to our citizens.

*Expanded Drug Court programs to rehabilitate those dependent on drugs in the system.

Why? The drug courts are used to address the first time users and possessors of drugs. These are individuals who are not involved in the sale or distribution of drugs, and need to have an increased rehabilitative effort by the justice system to address their dependency issues. Drug Courts keep these individuals in the community with an intensive supervision and drug treatment program in place. It prevents these individuals from going to prisons, which cost taxpayers money. Keeping them in the community adds to our tax base by having them support themselves and their families, and is more successful in rehabilitation. We currently only have one, very limited Drug Court, which is in Moffat County. It needs to be expanded to allow more people to participate, and we need to get a drug court in Routt and Grand Counties.

*Increased protection for our most vulnerable victims, the children and elderly.

Why? Children and elderly people are our most vulnerable victims. Tammy has extensive training and experience in prosecuting crimes against children such as sexual offenses, serious child abuse, and child homicides. Tammy has been recognized by child advocacy groups for her determination and efforts in keeping children safe. We have to have trained, experienced prosecutors in this area to win these very complicated cases, and to keep child victims, and potential child victims safe from sexual predators and abusers. Crimes against children have to be a priority prosecution in the DA's office, and this has not been the case with the current administration. Crimes against the elderly need to be enhanced in sentencing to protect a vulnerable population. There are current statutes that can be used to make crimes against elderly or other "at risk" people a more serious crime. I will prioritize these crimes in our office, and ensure that all prosecutors are well trained to protect our community.

*Improved relationship between the District Attorney's Office and local Law Enforcement for improved services to the community.

Why? Law enforcement and the District Attorney's Office need to work in unity and as a team to efficiently serve the public and protect the communities. The District Attorney is the highest law enforcement official in the Jurisdiction, and needs to use that authority to help lead law enforcement and train law enforcement so that the community is safer, and so that the Civil and Constitutional rights of all citizens are protected. The goal of community safety is not met when law enforcement and the District Attorney's Office are involved in strife. This relationship needs to be rebuilt, and it is the job of the District Attorney to begin that process.

*Alternative Youth programs such as Teen Courts, Classroom Outreach, and Restorative Justice programs to meet the special needs of our Rural and Rural/ Resort Youth.

Why? The purpose of juvenile laws and the juvenile code is to rehabilitate youth, and to work towards a child's best interests. Criminalizing petty, minor offenses committed by juveniles does not fulfill the spirit and purpose of juvenile laws. There need to be alternative programs for our youth that work towards their rehabilitation, provide appropriate consequences for the offense, and keep the children out of the criminal court system. Alternative programs achieve the same goals, but prevent the waste of time, resources and money to the court system and taxpayers that results with a child being in the court system. Teen Courts allow youth to be diverted from the court system into a teen court program. The youth is sentenced by a group of trained teenaged peers, and supervised by the teen court system. Youth are able to be involved in their own justice system, which leads to success in rehabilitation and greater faith in the overall justice system as they become adults. Restorative justice programs seek to have a juvenile restore the harm they did to an individual or property through mediation and community service geared towards the specifics of their crime. It makes the victim whole, and results in full accountability by the youth offender. It is important to increase alternative programs for youth such as teen court, diversion programs, and restorative justice programs to rehabilitate youth and address minor offenses in a new way that results in fewer children in the court system, and the rehabilitation and best interests of the child being more effectively met.

*A District Attorney Advisory Board made up of community members to reflect local in-put and values of the community.

The District Attorney's Office needs to reflect the local values and local beliefs of the community it serves. A community advisory board, in every county, made up of a diverse group of citizens, would be able to advise a District Attorney in local cases, and voice concerns in order to better serve that particular community. Grand Juries are another way to get local input from the community as to whether charges should be brought on certain cases, and what the charges should be. Grand Juries and an Advisory Board are two important tools that have not been used by the District Attorney's Office. Tammy Stewart will value community input. She will have an open door policy and be completely accessible to all members of the public and law enforcement.

*Active Courtroom D.A., personally handling our most serious cases resulting in consistency in prosecution, and tax savings to the community.

Why? The elected District Attorney should be the most experienced prosecutor in the office, and should personally be handling the community’s most serious cases, such as lifetime sexual offenses, and murders. The District Attorney in a district the size of ours needs to be a working District Attorney that is actively handling cases in court and personally supervising cases in each county. This leads to consistency throughout the three county offices in prosecution, and it is a savings to taxpayers by having one more D.A. in the courtrooms.

*Domestic Violence Fast track System to quickly get domestic violence cases into court and meet the needs of the victims, children, and offenders. And this will be done with Respect and Courtesy from all levels of the District Attorney's Office to the public we serve.

Why? Tammy has had many years of experience with Domestic Fast Track programs as a Deputy District Attorney in Jefferson County. A fast track system provides immediate court attention to domestic violence cases and immediate services to the victims and children of domestic violence. A domestic violence case will be in court on the first court day after it occurs rather than weeks later. It increases the success of domestic violence convictions, and gets immediate help to the offender and victim and children. There are many grants available to fund the increased efforts this will take by the District Attorney's Office and the courts. It has a great success rate in all the current Colorado counties in which it is used.

* Respect and Courtesy from all levels of the District Attorney's Office to the public we serve.

Why? The District Attorney's Office is a public office and is there to serve the public. Everyone in the system - victims, witnesses, defendants, defense attorneys, family members - deserves to be treated with dignity and respect by everyone in the system, and that includes the staff and attorneys of the District Attorney's Office. Disrespect and rudeness by anyone in the DA's office will not be tolerated. Tammy will have an open door policy, where ANYONE can have access to her to address problems they believe are occurring in the office. It is not a pattern of the current administration to treat people appropriately and professionally.

***Tammy is the only candidate that has the level of experience necessary to make these changes and lead our office towards positive change!!

The Better Way DA

Tammy Stewart for District Attorney

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Platform for A Better District Attorney's Office

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