Katharine Gillespie
Denver,CO
Summary
Accomplished Senior Assistant Attorney General with over two decades at the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, specializing in complex criminal appeals. Excels in oral advocacy and problem-solving, mentoring appellate attorneys, and spearheading child sexual assault prosecutions. Proven leadership in managing high-profile cases and enhancing prosecutorial strategies, demonstrating exceptional public speaking and organizational skills. Successfully completed over 40 jury trials in the 18th Judicial District and 50 oral arguments in the Colorado Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.
Overview
1
1
Certification
Work History
Deputy District Attorney 1995-2000
18th Judicial District - District Attorney’s Office
- Child Sexual Assault Unit District Court Deputy (3 years)
- Oversaw law enforcement efforts in vertical prosecutions.
- Managed all charging decisions and designed comprehensive approaches for prosecuting child sexual assault cases after the Colorado Sex Offender Lifetime Supervision Act was implemented.
- County Court Deputy (3 years) & Supervisor (2 years)
- Oversaw a team of 6-12 county court deputies.
- Ensured efficient handling of county court dockets through coordination with judiciary and law enforcement.
- Aided County Court Chief Deputies in developing and implementing county court protocols.
- Conducted training sessions to various law enforcement agencies on DUI issues.
- Collaborated with MADD to present impactful presentations at multiple high schools.
Senior Assistant Attorney General 2000-Present
Colorado Attorney General’s Office
- Criminal Appeals Unit (22 years) & Criminal Justice Gang Unit (2 years)
- Focused on intricate child sexual assault cases.
- Assisted new appellate attorneys in developing effective oral advocacy and complex legal analysis skills.
- Supported district attorneys statewide with charging decisions, preparing jury instructions, and strategy decisions.
- Developed and maintained an updated Lookit Manual for Colorado prosecutors.
- Reviewed and critiqued pending legislation to provide feedback to the Colorado District Attorneys' Council.
- Managed high-profile COCCA cases focusing on gang activity across various jurisdictions.
- Assisted in the selection of the state-wide grand jury members.
- Presented a complex prison gang Denver COCCA case to the state-wide grand jury
Education
Juris Doctorate -
University of Denver Strum College of Law
Denver, CO05-1995
Bachelor of Arts - Political Science & Economics
St. Lawrence University
Canton, NY05.1989
Accomplishments
• Chosen as a Strum College of Law Chancellor Scholar and awarded a full-tuition scholarship (1992-1995)
• Attorney General’s Employee Appreciation Award for handling five Colorado Supreme Court oral arguments on sexually violent predator issues (2013)
Certification
18th Judicial District Appellate Intern (1 year), Forfeiture Intern (1 year), County Court Intern (2 years) between 1992 and 1995
Affiliations
- Presented at Colorado District Attorneys’ Council Fall Conference numerous times on various appellate topics;
- Presented to the Sex Offender Management Board on the ramifications of five Colorado Supreme Court Sexually Violent Predator opinions;
- Presented at District Attorney Offices across the state on various sex offense and appellate topics;
- Presented with the Colorado Attorney General Office's Safe-to-Tell program when first implemented.
Timeline
Deputy District Attorney 1995-2000
18th Judicial District - District Attorney’s Office
Senior Assistant Attorney General 2000-Present
Colorado Attorney General’s Office
Juris Doctorate -
University of Denver Strum College of Law
Bachelor of Arts - Political Science & Economics
St. Lawrence University
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