John Suthers
Encyclopedia
John William Suthers is the current Attorney General
of Colorado
. He is a practicing Catholic and member of the Republican Party
.
He attended St. Mary's High School, and the University of Notre Dame
, from which he graduated magna cum laud with a degree in government in 1974. Suthers graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law
in 1977.
. During his time as a prosecutor at the local level, he tried cases ranging from drunken driving to first degree murder.
In 1981, Suthers became a litigation partner in the Colorado Springs law firm of Sparks Dix, P.C. He remained with the firm until 1988, at which time he was elected district attorney of the Fourth Judicial District. At the conclusion of his second term, he returned to Sparks Dix in 1997 as senior counsel in charge of the firm’s litigation section.
In 1999, Suthers was appointed executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections by Governor Bill Owens. In August of 2001, Suthers was appointed by President George W. Bush
as United States Attorney
for the District of Colorado. He was unanimously confirmed by the United State Senate and assumed the position the week before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. During his tenure as U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, the office prosecuted several high-profile white collar cases, including cases against executives of Qwest.
Suthers serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Denver School of Law and as a scholar in residence at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.
to the United States Senate
, John Suthers was nominated by Governor Owens and confirmed by the State Senate as the 37th Attorney General of Colorado in January 2005. Suthers served the remaining two years of Salazar's term before running for reelection in 2006. In November 2006, Suthers won election to the Attorney General's Office, defeating challenger Fern O'Brien by nine points. During the same election cycle, the Republican candidate for Governor, Bob Beauprez
, lost 56–40, and the Republican Secretary of State won by 1.5%.
Despite being courted in 2008 and 2010 for runs for the U.S. Senate, Suthers chose to run for re-election. Suthers defeated his Democratic opponent in 2010 election by a 14-point margin – the largest margin of victory in a two-way race in Colorado that year.
Suthers’ natural-resource achievements also include arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court and securing a unanimous decision in favor of Colorado in the longstanding Kansas v. Colorado water litigation. The ruling saved Colorado taxpayers more than $9 million in attorney fees and costs.
Suthers efforts also extend beyond Colorado. He has testified before Congress on the foreclosure crisis, led a group of states in pushing to tighten the rules governing loan-servicing companies, and has served on a series of federal mortgage and foreclosure task forces.
Reserve.
He has authored six books, including No Higher Calling, No Greater Responsibility: A Prosecutor Makes His Case (Fulcrum Publishing, 2008).
State Attorney General
The state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states and territories is the chief legal advisor to the state government and the state's chief law enforcement officer. In some states, the attorney general serves as the head of a state department of justice, with responsibilities similar to those...
of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. He is a practicing Catholic and member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
Background
Suthers was born in Denver, Colorado and adopted a month later by a Colorado Springs couple.He attended St. Mary's High School, and the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, from which he graduated magna cum laud with a degree in government in 1974. Suthers graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
in 1977.
Professional career
From 1977 to 1981, Suthers served as a deputy and chief deputy district attorney in Colorado Springs. From 1979 to 1981, he headed the Economic Crime Division of the district attorney’s office and co-authored a book on consumer fraud and white-collar crimeWhite-collar crime
Within the field of criminology, white-collar crime has been defined by Edwin Sutherland as "a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation" . Sutherland was a proponent of Symbolic Interactionism, and believed that criminal behavior was...
. During his time as a prosecutor at the local level, he tried cases ranging from drunken driving to first degree murder.
In 1981, Suthers became a litigation partner in the Colorado Springs law firm of Sparks Dix, P.C. He remained with the firm until 1988, at which time he was elected district attorney of the Fourth Judicial District. At the conclusion of his second term, he returned to Sparks Dix in 1997 as senior counsel in charge of the firm’s litigation section.
In 1999, Suthers was appointed executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections by Governor Bill Owens. In August of 2001, Suthers was appointed by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
as United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for the District of Colorado. He was unanimously confirmed by the United State Senate and assumed the position the week before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. During his tenure as U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, the office prosecuted several high-profile white collar cases, including cases against executives of Qwest.
Suthers serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Denver School of Law and as a scholar in residence at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.
Attorney general
Following the election of Ken SalazarKen Salazar
Kenneth Lee "Ken" Salazar is the current United States Secretary of the Interior, in the administration of President Barack Obama. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a United States Senator from Colorado from 2005 to 2009. He and Mel Martinez were the first Hispanic U.S...
to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, John Suthers was nominated by Governor Owens and confirmed by the State Senate as the 37th Attorney General of Colorado in January 2005. Suthers served the remaining two years of Salazar's term before running for reelection in 2006. In November 2006, Suthers won election to the Attorney General's Office, defeating challenger Fern O'Brien by nine points. During the same election cycle, the Republican candidate for Governor, Bob Beauprez
Bob Beauprez
Robert L. "Bob" Beauprez is an American politician who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 7th Congressional District of Colorado....
, lost 56–40, and the Republican Secretary of State won by 1.5%.
Despite being courted in 2008 and 2010 for runs for the U.S. Senate, Suthers chose to run for re-election. Suthers defeated his Democratic opponent in 2010 election by a 14-point margin – the largest margin of victory in a two-way race in Colorado that year.
Natural Resources
Shortly after taking office, Suthers moved to swiftly resolve a series of longstanding natural-resource damages lawsuits, including disputes concerning natural resource damages at the California Gulch, Rocky Flats and Rocky Mountain Arsenal Superfund sites. Two of the settlements were the largest natural resource damages settlements in Colorado history. The quarter-century-old claim for damages at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Superfund settled in May 2008 for $35 million, which will be used for the restoration of the site and natural resources in and around the northeast Denver metro area site. Suthers also oversaw a $20.5 million settlement, finalized in July 2008, to help remediate environmental damages at the California Gulch Superfund site, located near Leadville.Suthers’ natural-resource achievements also include arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court and securing a unanimous decision in favor of Colorado in the longstanding Kansas v. Colorado water litigation. The ruling saved Colorado taxpayers more than $9 million in attorney fees and costs.
U.S.-Mexico Relations
Working through the Conference of Western Attorneys General with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Merida Initiative, the Colorado Attorney General’s Office has worked to provide training opportunities for Mexican law enforcement officers and prosecutors as that country transitions to an adversarial justice system. Suthers and his office offered these trainings in 2008 and 2009.Mortgage Fraud
Since taking office, Suthers has made the criminal and civil enforcement of Colorado mortgage and foreclosure laws a top priority. Suthers’ efforts range from breaking up criminal enterprises aimed at committing mortgage and lending fraud to working to suing fraudulent mortgage rescue operations and lenders. Suthers and his office also have given financial support to the Colorado Foreclosure Hotline, which helps homeowners avoid foreclosure.Suthers efforts also extend beyond Colorado. He has testified before Congress on the foreclosure crisis, led a group of states in pushing to tighten the rules governing loan-servicing companies, and has served on a series of federal mortgage and foreclosure task forces.
Internet Safety
At the time Suthers became Colorado’s 37th Attorney General, the state had no specific crimes concerning the conduct of online sexual predators. Suthers worked with the Colorado General Assembly in 2006 to pass Colorado’s Internet luring and sexual exploitation statutes. In the first two years of implementation, 250 alleged pedophiles were arrested on the new charges. Also as part of his efforts, Suthers launched a Safe Surfing Initiative to protect children from online predators.Drug Abuse
Suthers also has been a strong advocate against drug abuse, ranging from his work on statewide prescription drug take-back events to his role as the chairman of the Colorado Meth Task Force. In these roles, Suthers has visited schools and helped roll out awareness campaigns about the dangers of these drugs and the destructive effects they can have on a community. Suthers also has been at the forefront of efforts by law enforcement, educators and social workers to oppose the establishment of a marijuana industry in Colorado.Personal
Suthers and his wife Janet have been married for 35 years and have two daughters, Alison, a lawyer in Denver, and Kate, an officer in the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Reserve.
He has authored six books, including No Higher Calling, No Greater Responsibility: A Prosecutor Makes His Case (Fulcrum Publishing, 2008).
External links
- Colorado Department of Law and the Office of the Attorney General
- No Higher Calling, No Greater Responsibility: A Prosecutor Makes His Case on Amazon