Pueblo District Attorney Jeff Chostner won't seek reelection in 2024 after 3 terms in office

Tenth Judicial District Attorney Jeff Chostner will not run for re-election in November after decades of public service and three terms as Pueblo's DA.

The former city councilor and county commissioner, who was first elected to the DA's office in 2012, announced his decision on Tuesday.

Before entering public service in the Pueblo community, Chostner reached the rank of colonel as a member of the Judge Advocate General's Department in the Air Force. During his time as a JAG, he prosecuted or defended nearly 200 courts-martial, and was deployed multiple times to the Middle East, including during the First Gulf War. While in the Air Force, Chostner oversaw four of the largest legal offices in the USAF, he said.

After 22 years of active duty and three in the USAF Reserve, Chostner made the decision to get out of the Air Force and return to his hometown of Pueblo, where his wife was beginning a career in education.

"I thought, well, she's followed me for 25 years, it's time I follow her. It was very difficult to get out and they were offering me good jobs, but I decided to come back here."

After returning to Pueblo, the 1969 East High School graduate became involved in local politics and was elected to city council in 2004, serving until 2006 when he was elected to the Board of County Commissioners. Chostner served two terms on the BOCC before he was elected DA in 2012.

Chostner stated he is immensely proud of the work his office has done in his time as district attorney, including the 2021 prosecution of Donthe Lucas, who, despite his victim's body never being recovered, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of pregnant 21-year-old Kelsie Schelling.

"We had national attention on that, from New York, California and Denver; we had 20/20, Court TV, Dateline, but the main thing is we were successful, and to the extent justice can be done for the deceased, we did what we need to do," Chostner said.

Under Chostner's leadership, the DA's office has also built relationships with other judicial organizations, including the U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado.

"When I was first DA, I met the U.S. Attorney John Walsh, and after we said our introductions and niceties, I said, 'You know, Mr. Walsh, the United States of America doesn't exist south of the El Paso County line.'"

While Walsh was taken aback, Chostner explained that the U.S. Attorney's Office did not take cases often, if ever, out of southern Colorado, and the FBI lacked a presence in the region.

After that, Walsh dedicated an FBI agent to be embedded in the Pueblo Police Department, Chostner said, and a U.S. attorney now attends a monthly chief's meeting held at the DA's office, which allows cases to be coordinated between regional law enforcement agencies and the U.S. government.

Since 2014, around 60 cases from Pueblo have been handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office, currently helmed by U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan.

In collaboration with former 10th District Chief Judge Deborah Eyler, Chostner also worked to create a veterans court to address behavioral issues in veterans created by substance abuse and mental health issues through intensive supervision and treatment instead of traditional methods of punishment, allowing veterans a better chance to reintegrate into society.

During his career in public service, Chostner also had a hand in creating law enforcement infrastructure in Pueblo County. For instance, while serving as county commissioner and later DA, he said he worked closely with judicial staff to ensure that the Dennis Maes Judicial Building became a reality.

Chostner also remarked that he was proud of the work done by his team during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite several hard-to-fill vacancies. Currently, the DA's office is seeking to fill 10 open attorney spots.

"We're still carrying on practicing as best we can and trying as many cases as we can," Chostner said. "I think it's really a team effort that kept this place going."

“In these increasingly contentious times, I have tried to exhibit mature, rational leadership for all of the county’s residents, regardless of party affiliation," Chostner said. "I have tried to represent all of the people and treat all with courtesy and respect, even when we’ve disagreed. I think respect for the community that elected you, and your own personal dignity, should be a hallmark of any public official's service.”

Recently, the DA's office has also begun an intern program aimed at recruiting attorneys to fill its open slots. Chostner said since starting the program, the DA's office has reached out to nearly 200 law schools across the country.

The program allows the office to bring on interns as entry-level attorneys with a $75,000 per year prorated income and benefits, as well as university housing.

In the summer of 2023, Chostner said the program was very successful, drawing recruits from schools such as Seton Hall, the University of Mississippi, Michigan State, and others.

"We will get back 40 percent of the people we hired last summer," he said.

Before leaving office, Chostner said he wants to see the intern program enhanced and make sure that it continues to flourish. His other priority, he said, is ensuring the successful transfer of power to whoever succeeds him as Pueblo's DA.

"One thing I've been very sensitive to is putting the right people in the right place, so continuity of service to the community is ensured, " he said.

While Chostner plans to take a step back, he said he "still has a few irons in the fire."

"My whole life has been about community service," he said. "I'll find something to continue to contribute to the community."

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This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo, Colorado District Attorney Jeff Chostner won't run for reelection