State Attorney General to teach UCCS course

Colorado’s top law enforcement officer, Attorney General John Suthers, will teach a joint undergraduate and graduate course in criminal justice at UCCS for the spring semester.

Suthers will be a scholar in residence for the UCCS School of Public Affairs. He is the first person to hold the position.

“I am very pleased that our students will have this exceptional opportunity to learn from an instructor with such depth of experience,” Terry Schwartz, associate dean, School of Public Affairs, said. “Attorney General John Suthers’ classroom will offer scholarly rigor informed by a wealth of real-world practical understanding.”

As scholar in residence, Suthers will be the primary instructor for a criminal justice class “Pleas, Trials and Sentences.” The course meets Fridays from 1:40 p.m. to 4:20 p.m. from January 22 to May 14.

The Attorney General’s Office has primary authority for the enforcement of consumer protection and antitrust laws, prosecution of criminal appeals and some complex crimes. The Office also presents cases to the Statewide Grand Jury, maintains the state’s program for training and certifying Colorado peace officers, and defends cases involving Colorado’s natural resource, interstate water compacts and environmental matters.

Gov. Bill Owens appointed Suthers as the state’s attorney general in 2005. Suthers was elected to a full, four-year term in November 2006. Suthers previously served as the presidentially appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado and executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections. He began his legal career as deputy and chief district attorney in Colorado Springs and later headed the Economic Crime Division before being elected to two terms as District Attorney for the Fourth Judicial District.

A lifetime Colorado resident, Suthers earned his law degree from the University of Colorado in 1977.

He is the author of five books including “No Higher Calling, No Greater Responsibility: A Prosecutor Makes His Case” which was published in 2008. He is active in numerous civic organizations.

“It is my honor to serve as the first scholar in residence for the UCCS School of Public Affairs,” Suthers said. “I look forward to providing students with my perspective as a prosecutor and public servant and engaging in vigorous discussions about many of the issues facing Colorado today.”

-- Tom Hutton