Aurora City Councilmember Danielle Jurinksy said she’s launching a campaign to recall a local prosecutor who offered a plea deal to a teenager who hit and killed a 24-year-old woman after driving 90 mph in a neighborhood.

The teenager, who is in the country illegally, has since been detained by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.    

In a public safety committee meeting on Thursday, Jurinsky called the decision of 18th Judicial District Attorney Amy Padden “unacceptable.” The councilmember said she has been in communication with the family of 24-year-old Kaitlyn Weaver.

“Amy Padden will have been in office for six months this coming Monday, which makes her eligible for recall,” Jurinsky said. “I do plan on honoring the life of Kaitlyn Weaver.”

She added: “Justice will be served in one way or another and that will begin this coming Monday, July 14.”

Jurinsky’s statements about the case “misrepresented” the 18th Judicial District’s work, Padden said in response.

“Councilwoman Jurinsky has alleged that, under my leadership, this Office has refused to prosecute cases that warranted legal action,” Padden said in a statement to The Denver Gazette Thursday. “That claim is simply false.”

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 last July. Since he’s a minor, he’s never been named publicly by the police or prosecutors.

The teenager was initially charged with vehicular homicide. 

At the time, then-District Attorney John Kellner promised to pursue the maximum two-year sentence in youth corrections.

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

Padden refused to specifically talk about the Weaver case since the suspect is a juvenile, but she said her decision to give a plea deal to the suspect is in line with her beliefs about the juvenile justice system.

“We’re talking about kids, whose brains are not fully developed until they’re 25,” Padden previously told The Denver Gazette. “So, in the juvenile justice system, the way it works in Colorado is we look at really how we can connect this juvenile with resources to help them rehabilitate and make sure they don’t turn into an adult offender.”

In response to Jurinsky, Padden said the councilmember’s statements risk “undermining” relationships between the judicial district, the community and law enforcement. 

“It is our shared responsibility to collaborate on solutions that enhance public safety and ensure that those who commit crimes are held accountable,” Padden said. “Unfortunately, recent statements made by Councilwoman Jurinsky have misrepresented the work of this Office and risk undermining the longstanding, productive relationships we’ve built with both our law enforcement partners and the community.”

Padden’s office made “multiple good faith” attempts to reach Jurinsky, the prosecutor said, adding it did not receive a response. 

During her campaign for district attorney, Padden said she would work to reduce “over-incarceration” and ensure “fair and equal treatment for immigrants,” adding it’s not the job of her office or local law enforcement to “do ICE’s job for them.” She also called for an end to private prisons.

The county’s website said Padden will focus on “community safety, alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders, juvenile justice reform and ensuring justice and equity for all.”

In order to recall an elected county official like Padden, Jurinsky would need to get approval from the county clerk and recorder to start a petition, according to the Colorado Secretary of State’s website. 

The approved petition must meet a signature threshold of 25% of the total votes cast at the last preceding general election for that office.

In the 2024 General Election, 303,500 ballots were cast for the 18th Judicial District Attorney position, so a recall petition would require 75,875 valid signatures to go to the ballot, according to a spokesperson for the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office. 

Recall elections were added to the Colorado Constitution in 1912. Records show that there’s only been one district attorney recall election in modern history, the spokesperson said. That recall election, which happened in 2005 for the 9th Judicial District, was unsuccessful, with 80% of the votes in favor of retaining the district attorney.

On May 20, ICE arrested the teenager and his family, all of whom are not citizens of the United States, a spokesperson for the federal agency told The Denver Gazette. 

“As part of its routine operations, ICE arrests aliens who commit crimes and other individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws,” the spokesperson said. “All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States, regardless of nationality.”