How Beth McCann redefined Denver's criminal justice system
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Outgoing Denver District Attorney Beth McCann in November 2023. Photo: RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Beth McCann — the first woman elected as Denver's district attorney — spent the past eight years reshaping the city's criminal justice system.
State of play: On Tuesday, the two-term Democrat hands the reins to John Walsh, wrapping up a role she calls "the greatest honor of [her] professional life" — but one she chose not to pursue for a third term.
Why it matters: McCann steered the city toward a more progressive, transparent and rehabilitative model with restorative justice policies that will impact the local legal landscape for years to come.
What she's saying: The self-described "progressive DA" hopes she's remembered as "fair and effective," she told Axios Denver.
- "I'm not a scorched-earth type," but a believer in incremental changes, "second chances" and alternatives to traditional prosecution, she said.
The big picture: McCann's term coincided with unprecedented challenges: a global pandemic, social unrest, rising crime, youth violence and an opioid crisis.
- Her problem-solving approach earned her respect from both law enforcement and defense attorneys for balancing tough prosecution with addressing root causes of crime.
By the numbers: Her office filed 125,000 criminal cases, including 50,000 felonies, charged 93 juveniles as adults and investigated 60 officer-involved shootings — with just one resulting in an indictment.
Zoom in: McCann has been praised for data-driven decision-making and transparency, such as co-launching the nation's largest prosecutorial data project, identifying systemic racial disparities and holding numerous community forums. She's also credited for:
- Establishing specialized units to conduct conviction reviews and address mental health and substance use, human trafficking, juvenile crime and elder abuse.
- Creating the Handgun Intervention Program, which diverts first-time juvenile gun offenders from incarceration, and the Restorative Justice Program to lower recidivism rates.
- Increasing diversity within her office, now employing more female lawyers than male lawyers for the first time.
Yes, but: McCann's tenure wasn't without controversy. Critics, including Denver's former police chief and mayor, accused her of leniency amid rising crime.
- Social justice advocates questioned her decisions to charge juveniles as adults — many of whom are kids of color — and her approach to police accountability, particularly after the George Floyd protests.
- Despite her efforts to crack down on fentanyl and juvenile violence, both remain rampant, police data shows.
What's next: At age 75, McCann is embracing new challenges in retirement.
- She plans to climb her 43rd fourteener, ski the Alps, travel to Zambia and explore elephant anti-poaching efforts, while remaining active in criminal justice reform.
- "I could not be prouder of my office's role in the progress the city has made," she penned in a farewell op-ed. "I look forward to watching that progress continue. I am certain that it will."