\u201cApplications for district attorney for the 12th Judicial District may be submitted to gov_officeofboardsandcommissions@state.co.us<\/a>,\u201d a Wednesday statement from Polis\u2019 office said. \u201cInterviews will begin promptly.\u201d<\/p>\n In his own written statement, Weiser, a Democrat, said his office was committed to serving the San Luis Valley \u201cas effectively as possible\u201d in an interim capacity and hoped to set up the new district attorney for success.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people of the San Luis Valley deserve a fresh start with a new district attorney,\u201d Weiser said. \u201cWe expect new leadership will improve the important work of the office. Our focus has been to ensure that the DA\u2019s office in the 12th Judicial District complies with the law and treats crime victims with respect and dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n An investigation <\/a>by the Department of Law found that victims of crimes under Payne\u2019s jurisdiction had not been updated about the status of cases as required under state law, putting some victims\u2019 safety at risk.<\/p>\n The Victim Rights Act requires prosecutors to keep victims informed about their cases and to let them provide input during certain court proceedings, such as sentencing hearings. It also gives victims \u201cthe right to be treated with fairness, respect, and dignity, and to be free from intimidation, harassment, or abuse throughout the criminal justice process.\u201d<\/p>\n The agreement announced Tuesday between the 12th Judicial District and Attorney General\u2019s Office requires the district to retain an outside monitor, adopt new policies and implement mandatory staff training. On Tuesday, Weiser said the agreement would remain in place for at least six months if Payne left office.<\/p>\n Had Payne remained in office, he would have been subject to a recall election. On May 26, the Colorado Secretary of State\u2019s Office announced that a group of San Luis Valley voters had submitted enough valid signatures to force a recall election.<\/p>\n Payne, a Democrat, could not be immediately reached for comment.<\/p>\n In a written statement Thursday, Colorado GOP Chairwoman Kristi Burton Brown accused Polis of violating state law in his appointment of Weiser as interim DA \u2013 because Weiser apparently does not live in the San Luis Valley, as the law requires of elected or appointed district attorneys.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile we know that Weiser is a professor who has never actually tried a case, we would expect that either he or the governor\u2019s lawyers would have read the law prior to announcing this ineligible appointment,\u201d Burton Brown said. Weiser does, in fact, have experience<\/a> in courtroom litigation, though it is limited.<\/p>\n \u201cCitizens in the San Luis Valley have for too long had a DA who is corrupt and incompetent,\u201d Burton Brown said. \u201cI believe they deserve a competent DA from the Valley who will fight the Polis-Weiser crime wave, not an ineligible professor from Denver.\u201d<\/p>\n