District Attorney Amy Padden celebrated one year in office this week by touting her accomplishments, major convictions and “increased accountability” in a news release.

Padden, who was elected in November 2024 and took the helm of the 18th Judicial District office in January 2025, has also faced a fair share of backlash — including a recall threat from an Aurora councilmember — in her first year.

Under Padden’s leadership, the 18th Judicial District — which includes Arapahoe County and Aurora — office filed more felony cases than in previous years, according to the release.

In 2025, prosecutors filed 3,407 felony cases. In 2024, prosecutors filed 3,110 and in 2023, they filed 2,974.

This year’s filing numbers showed a “notable” decrease in juvenile homicide cases, the release added, saying 15 such cases were filed in 2025 as compared to 25 cases each in 2023 and 2024.

Padden attributed that number’s decrease to “progress in early intervention and accountability efforts involving youth,” including Aurora’s Standing Against Violence Every Day (SAVE) program.

SAVE is a strategy in Aurora used to combat youth violence in collaboration between the Aurora Police Department and the Youth Violence Prevention Program. The program focuses on high-risk communities and youth.

Throughout her first year in office, Padden has repeatedly pointed to her beliefs about the youth justice system in both words and actions.

She faced significant backlash last spring in the wake of a decision involving the death of 24-year-old Kaitlyn Weaver.

In late May, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained the teenager who was driving 90 mph in an Aurora neighborhood when he hit and killed Weaver in July 2024. Since he’s a minor, he’s never been named publicly by the police or prosecutors.

The teenager was initially charged with vehicular homicide.

Initially, former District Attorney John Kellner promised to pursue the maximum two-year sentence in youth corrections.

After Padden took office, the teen was offered two years probation, 100 hours of community service and a requirement to attend school and not break any laws. 

Following the court’s decision to accept the plea deal, then Aurora City Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky said she planned to launch a campaign to recall Padden, saying the plea deal was “unacceptable.” The recall effort failed when no signatures were submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office by the deadline.

Jurinsky, who was not re-elected in November and is no longer on the council, told The Denver Gazette she dropped the petition because she “felt like giving her a second chance.”

She indicated she had more than enough signatures to recall Padden, but she declined to share the petition with The Denver Gazette.

In Padden’s news release this week, her office also pointed to a “sharp increase” in traffic-related cases, attributing that to law enforcement agencies’ “renewed proactive traffic enforcement efforts.”

In 2025, 11,822 traffic cases were filed, a significant increase from 6,747 in 2023.

“Reckless driving, impaired driving, and excessive speed have caused devastating and entirely preventable injuries and deaths,” Padden said in the release. “Increased enforcement and accountability are critical tools to saving lives and keeping our roads safe.”

Her district is tied with Adams County for the highest number of felony District Court trials, the news release said. In 2025, the 18th Judicial District took 95 felony cases and 91 misdemeanor cases to trial, “underscoring the Office’s readiness to litigate serious cases when resolution cannot be reached.”

The release referenced several notable cases and outcomes from the year, including a 36-years-to-life sentence handed to Kenneth Noel in relation to a multi-state human trafficking operation, a 99-years-to-life sentence for Khafre Buxton following a violent robbery, kidnapping and sexual assault of a hotel employee, and the July 2025 jury conviction of Aurora dentist James Craig for the calculated poisoning death of his wife, Angela.

Also in her first year, Padden’s district took on an influx of new domestic violence cases from Aurora Municipal Court after the Aurora City Council passed a resolution in September 2024 to hand domestic violence cases to the 17th and 18th Judicial Districts.

Padden vowed to continue prioritizing justice for domestic violence victims with additional resources from the Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners, according to the release.

Other priorities for the office include conducting cold case reviews, creating a justice integrity review process, launching a traffic diversion pilot program, and pursuing legislative changes, the release said.

Padden and other district attorneys are working with state legislators and other state officials to address Colorado’s competency laws during the current legislative session. Her office is also seeking legislative changes related to vehicular homicide.