Kenneth Boyd, the nephew of former Gov. Bill
Ritter, talks about his candidacy for Denver district attorney Tuesday at The Source. (Lynn Bartels, The Denver Post)
Denver district attorney candidate Kenneth Boyd participated in fascinating conversations around the dinner table as events in Ferguson, Baltimore and elsewhere exploded over the last year: One brother-in-law is a white Denver cop; the other is a black ex-con who .
That, Boyd said, has provided him with an interesting perspective on the ongoing national conversation about police conduct and minorities.
“I want them both to come home safe at night,” Boyd said, of his brothers-in-law.
The 36-year-old prosecutor is the latest Democrat to announce a bid to succeed District Attorney Mitch Morrissey, who is term limited in 2016. Morrissey succeeded Bill Ritter, Boyd’s uncle, .
Boyd faces : University of Colorado Regent Michael Carrigan and state Rep. Beth McCann, the former manager of public safety for Denver.
after the Colorado Independent’s Susan Greene reported he said, “I don’t believe there’s an excessive force problem in Denver.”
“I’m absolutely committed to prosecuting cases where officers commit criminal conduct, whether itap getting a DUI when they’re off duty or whether itap a case involving excessive force,” he said Tuesday, in an interview at The Source on Brighton Boulevard.
“The important thing to understand is the way I will handle these cases is the same way that I would evaluate all cases, which is, ‘Do I believe I can prove criminal conduct beyond a reasonable doubt to 12 jurors?’ If I can’t do that, then I can’t prosecute this case,” Boyd said. “But that doesn’t mean other discipline isn’t appropriate.”
Boyd works for the Denver district attorney’s office and pointed out he is the only current prosecutor in the race.
In his news release announcing his candidacy, Boyd quoted Morrissey.
“Kenneth Boyd is a rising star in our office and the legal community. He has consistently demonstrated the type of leadership it takes to make the tough decisions of an elected district attorney,” Morrisey said.
“During his time in my office, I have entrusted him with some of the toughest assignments, and he has consistently delivered justice for the most vulnerable victims in Denver. I have no doubt that the City and County of Denver would be well served by his experience and dedication to serving the ends of justice.”
