Michael Dougherty

In 2018, Michael Dougherty became the District Attorney for the 20th Judicial District. In November of 2020, Michael had the honor of being re-elected. The District Attorney's Office is committed to enhancing community safety and improving the justice system.

Michael attended Nassau Community College and, then, went on to graduate from Cornell University and Boston University School of Law.

After law school, Michael served for twelve years as a prosecutor at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. He started in the Trial Division and quickly rose to supervisory positions, including Deputy Chief of the Sex Crimes Unit. Later, he was promoted to the Executive Staff and became responsible for assisting with the management, budget, and personnel of the District Attorney's Office, while continuing to prosecute serious cases. In 2009, Michael was recruited to head up the Colorado DNA Justice Review Project, an effort that helped lead to the exoneration of an innocent man wrongly convicted of murder. Just months after arriving in Boulder, Michael was promoted to serve as the head of the Criminal Justice Section for the Attorney General. In 2013, Michael became the second-in-command for the District Attorney's Office for Jefferson and Gilpin Counties.

Michael has served on numerous groups leading to significant criminal justice reform. Notably, Michael received the Innocence Project's Award for Advocate for Innocence and Justice. Additionally, Michael has helped establish problem-solving courts and diversion programs.

Michael currently serves as the co-Chair of Colorado's Sentencing Reform Task Force. He is, also, on the School Safety Resource Center Advisory Board. Since 2018, the DA's Office has launched innovative programs, such as the Bias and Hate Crimes Initiative, the Fresh Start Warrant Forgiveness Program, the Mental Health Diversion Program and the Conviction Integrity Unit. In addition, the Center for Prevention and Restorative Justice has been expanded significantly, with new diversion programs now in place.