DENVER DISTRICT ATTORNEY

MITCH MORRISSEY

  Mitchell R. Morrissey was elected District Attorney of Denver in November 2004 and was sworn into office on January 11, 2005.  He is responsible for the prosecution of more than 5,000 felony and 15,000 misdemeanor criminal cases every year.  He is internationally known for his expertise in DNA technology, applying that technology in criminal prosecutions and working to ensure that DNA science is admissible in our courtrooms.

As the chief prosecutor for the Second Judicial District, Mitch is an aggressive prosecutor and an advocate of prevention and intervention initiatives.  He makes victims a priority and is dedicated to providing victims a strong voice in the justice system.  He was instrumental in getting “Katie’s Law” passed in Colorado so that a DNA sample is taken at the time of a felony arrest.  He successfully advocated for including sexual orientation in Colorado’s hate crimes statue and was awarded the Distinguished Service Award for this work by the GLBT Community Center of Colorado in 2006.

Mitch has worked on behalf of the citizens of Denver for more than 20 years as an attorney in the Denver DA's Office; more than half of those years he has served as a Chief Deputy.  He has assisted the U.S. Attorney's Office as a Special Assistant in prosecuting federal cases involving DNA evidence, was selected Prosecutor of the Year in 2001 by the Colorado District Attorneys' Council, and has taught on a variety of subjects for the Council and the Denver Police Department including demonstrative evidence, rules of evidence, gang prosecutions, violent crime and DNA.