RBC I The district attorney’s office is looking for a new deputy for its Rio Blanco County office.
DA Martin Beeson thinks he’s found his man.
“There is an individual we are focusing on who appears to be very competent, professional and mature, in terms of legal experience and life experience,” Beeson said Monday. “He has been up here several times looking at the community. He’s looking for housing here. I believe he’s made an offer on a house. He has to sell his house in the Denver area, but we are looking for a smooth transition.”
The new deputy would replace Jay Barasch, who, in a letter to the editor in last week’s Herald Times, said he was informed by Beeson “that I should not continue in that capacity any longer.”
Barasch had served as the deputy DA for Rio Blanco County for the past year. He replaced Ann Toney.
“We are hoping we’ll have a permanent deputy in this office by late April or the first of May,” Beeson said. “That’s the target date.”
Without identifying the prospective candidate, Beeson said, “We are excited about this individual. If we get him up here, I’m confident he will be the consummate professional and be a good addition to the community as well as to the office and the legal community.”
In the meantime, Beeson said the Meeker office “will be handled business as usual.”
The district attorney’s main office is in Glenwood Springs and represents Garfield, Pitkin and Garfield counties.
“I will have somebody up here from some other office to make sure we get dockets prepared, dockets covered, trials done, that sort of thing,” Beeson said. “We’re just looking forward to having this individual get on board. Like I said, we’ve extended an offer. The only thing we’re waiting for is them to sell their house in the Denver area and find housing here.”