Kala Beauvais

What is your top priority if elected District Attorney?
My top priority is to obtain justice for victims and their families, accountability for offenders, and a better, safer quality of life for the citizens of Pueblo. I was born and raised in Pueblo, and my children are 6th generation Puebloans. I am a new generation of leadership and will collaborate with law enforcement and citizens to address the crime in our community.

What is your approach to fighting crime through the courts?

I have been in the courtroom for my entire career prosecuting crimes ranging from traffic offenses to first-degree murder and everything in between. Repeat, violent criminals must be an absolute priority in fighting crime through the court system. These criminals are wreaking havoc in our community, and they must be held accountable to protect the citizens of Pueblo.

While the violent offenders are a priority, I will not overlook the property crimes. We often hear the argument from defense attorneys that “Nobody got hurt; it’s only a property crime.” The reality is that when a vehicle that provides transportation to school and work is stolen, it can have crippling effects on the victim. Offenders must be held accountable.

The amount of juveniles committing crimes is on the rise. How do you plan to combat that?

There must be a collaborative effort to combat the juvenile crime, and I will work with law enforcement to work outside the box to take on this issue. In the past, Pueblo had municipal night court sessions. If law enforcement contacted a juvenile committing a crime, or even out past curfew, the juvenile, as well as their parents, would be brought directly into court to address the case. I want to bring these night court sessions back. If we can focus on stopping the juvenile crime at a municipal level, it would hopefully have a deterrent effect for future crime.

However, if the juvenile chooses to continue to commit crimes in our community and winds up in district court, they must be held accountable. I will evaluate the cases and file in adult court, rather than juvenile court when necessary to ensure that there are consequences for the criminal behavior.

Violent criminals are often released and commit other violent crimes while out on bail/probation/ parole. What will you do to help reduce this?

Violent, repeat criminals are a priority for me. The release on bail, probation, and parole is something that needs to be addressed at the legislative level. Bail reform bills have allowed leniency for the criminals. Parole officers can hardly do their jobs with the limitations that have been placed on them, again making parole a more lenient experience for the criminals. Terrible legislation passed in Denver has allowed criminals the upper hand, and that is why Pueblo is facing many of the crime problems we have today. I will be a voice for our community at the capitol to stop the bills that have a negative impact on victims, Pueblo, and that allow for less accountability for the criminals.