Boulder Felony Filings Hit Record Number in 2018

BOULDER, CO -- The Boulder District Attorney's Office filed almost 2,800 felony cases in 2018. That's more than the district has ever seen — and not by a small margin either. The number has climbed each year since it hit 1,801 in 2013, according to a report from the Daily Camera.

District Attorney Michael Dougherty told the Camera that he has seen a steady increase in the number of filings over the last few years. He also noted that the number of misdemeanors and traffic cases has risen, indicating that the increase can't be simply attributed to prosecutorial discretion.

"We believe the continued increases are due to population growth and the opioid epidemic because, as you know, drug addiction can lead to property offenses, such as bike thefts, home burglaries, and car thefts," Dougherty told the Camera this week.

He hopes that restorative justice and mental health programs — as well as a new alternative sentencing facility that was approved by voters in November — will help bring the figure down in the future.

Get the full story from the Camera here.

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