A dispute over crime policies in Aurora, Colorado, has led to the recall attempt of a newly-elected district attorney.
Aurora’s Councilwoman At Large, Danielle Jurinsky, is pushing for the removal of Arapahoe County District Attorney Amy Padden due to what Jurinsky characterizes as ineffective crime policies. Her concerns are amplified by the recent decision to drop charges against Solomon Galligan, a purported registered sex offender accused of attempting to kidnap a child on video.
Jurinsky commented on the situation: “Over the past six months, there have been numerous issues,” she remarked. “Cases that clearly required prosecution have been dismissed, and probation has been handed out for crimes—both felonies and misdemeanors—that deserved lengthy prison sentences.”
The District Attorney’s Office communicated with FOX31, confirming their decision to “dismiss charges” against Solomon Galligan related to a supposed kidnapping attempt in 2024.
The 75,000 mark is the threshold for officially recalling Padden. Jurinsky and her supporters have 60 days to acquire the signatures. If they succeed, Padden will have five days to decide whether she will resign, or whether she will run for her seat again.
Jurinsky said she doesn’t think garnering the signatures will be a challenge, and plans on hosting events and even going door-to-door as part of the effort.
“If you hurt somebody in the city of Aurora, I’m an Aurora City Council member,” she said. “I need to be standing up for the people of Aurora. And that means protecting them. That means focusing on public safety. So I take on a lot of extra duties, if you will. And sometimes that’s alone. I’m OK with that.”
Ross says he’s reached out twice to Jurinsky seeking other examples of cases she believes were not handled properly, but has not heard back.
In 2024, Aurora was also subject to a suspected Tren de Aragua gang takeover of an apartment complex, which became a rallying point for then-candidate Donald Trump’s reelection bid.
A spokesperson for the city of Aurora said neither the city nor its Mayor Mike Coffman, a former Republican congressman, have anything to do with the recall, and declined to comment further.
Padden did not return a comment request.
