John W. Suthers
From Ballotpedia
| John William Suthers | |
 | |
| Colorado Attorney General | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 2005 | |
| Current term ends 2011 | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Website | Official Colorado Attorney General website |
Contents |
John William Suthers (born October 18, 1951, in Denver, Colorado) is the current Republican Attorney General of Colorado. He was appointed to the position in 2005 by Governor Bill Owens following the election of Ken Salazar to the United States Senate.
Education
- Graduated from St. Mary's High School
- Bachelor's degree, University of Notre Dame (1974) in government
- Juris Doctorate degree, University of Colorado Law School (1977)
- Certificate in Government Executives Program, Harvard University (2000)
Professional experience
Immediately upon graduating from law school, Suthers occupied the dual roles of Deputy and Chief Deputy District Attorney in Colorado Springs. He remained in those roles until 1981. From 1979 to 1981, he headed the Economic Crime Division of the District Attorney's Office. In 1981, Suthers became a litigation partner in the Colorado Springs-based private practice law firm, Sparxs Dix, P.C., where he stayed until 1988. He co-authored Fraud and Deceit: How to Stop Being Ripped Off, a book about consumer fraud and white-collar crime, in 1982.
Political career
Suthers was elected District Attorney for the Fourth Judicial District in 1988 and was subsequently re-elected. In 1999, he was appointed by Governor Bill Owens as Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Corrections. He was then appointed in August 2001 as United States Attorney for the District of Colorado by President George W. Bush, being subsequently confirmed by the United States Senate unanimously.
As Attorney General, Suthers has made criminal justice and consumer protection his main priorities. He has launched a Safe Surfing Initiative [1] to protect children from online predators. Legislation backed by Suthers made it a crime in Colorado to solicit a child online for a meeting. In the first two years of implementation, 250 alleged pedophiles were arrested on the new charges. [2] In 2005, he also convened a Mortgage and Foreclosure Fraud Task Force to study the state's burgeoning foreclosure problems. As State AG, he backed legislation that sought to reduce appraisal fraud and criminalize unscrupulous foreclosure consulting.
During the 2008 legislative session, Suthers spearheaded two consumer protection initiatives. Senate Bill 77, dubbed the "Hannah Montana Bill", would criminalize the use of software to circumvent online ticket sales limits. The second measure would have banned most robocalls in the state of Colorado. Despite being heavily favored by Colorado citizens, the measure was quickly defeated by the legislative committee. Suthers currently serves as co-chair of the National Association of Attorneys General criminal law committee. He also acts as one of four Attorneys General on United States Attorney General Michael Mukasey's Executive Working Group on Prosecutorial Relations, a group composed of federal, state, and local prosecutors from across the United States.
Other roles
- President, El Paso County Bar Association 1990-1991
- Colorado Delegate, National Conference on Uniform State Laws 1992-1997
- President, Colorado District Attorney's Council 1994-1995
- Senior Vice President, Colorado Bar Association 1996-1997
Campaign contributions
| 2006 Race for Attorney General - Campaign Contributions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Raised | $521,449 | |||
| Total Raised by Primary Opponent | N/A | |||
| Total Raised by Gen. Election Opponent | $149,727 | |||
| Top 5 Contributors | Colorado Association of Realtors $7,500 (1.44% of Total) | |||
| Colorado Republican Party $6,059 (1.16%) | ||||
| COPIC Insurance $3,000 (0.58%) | ||||
| Colorado Association of Public Employees/SEIU $1,500 (0.29%) | ||||
| Patricia M. Nagel $1,500 (0.29%) | ||||
| Individuals v. Institutions | $454,770 (87.2%) | |||
| $52,842 (10.1%) | ||||
| In v. Outside State | $479,968 (92.0%) | |||
| $40,731 (7.8%) | ||||
Electoral history
2006
- 2006 Race for Attorney General - Republican Primary
- John Suthers ran unopposed
| 2006 Race for Attorney General - General Election [3] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
 John W. Suthers (R)
| 52.5% | |||
| Fern O'Brien (D) | 43.4% | |||
| Dwight K. Harding (Libertarian) | 4.2% | |||
| Total votes | 1,502,922 | |||
Family life
Suthers currently resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado with his wife, Janet. The couple has had two daughters together - Alison, a lawyer, and Kate, a United States Naval Officer. Suthers is also a practicing Roman Catholic.
Contact Information
Colorado Attorney General
1525 Sherman Street, 7th Floor
Denver, CO 80203
Phone: 303-866-4500
Fax: 303-866-5691
E-mail: attorney.general@state.co.us
External links
- Official Colorado Attorney General website
- John Suthers's Facebook profile
- John Suthers's Twitter account
- Project Vote Smart - John Suthers biography
References
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ken Salazar | Colorado Attorney General 2005–present | Succeeded by NA |
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