Over his nearly 30-year career as a prosecutor, Michael has fought every day to protect communities and stand up for the rights of every Coloradan.
Michael is the grandson of Irish immigrants and the proud product of public education. From his father, a public school teacher, and his mother, a fighter who worked tirelessly for her sons and what she believed in, Michael absorbed the values of acting with integrity, treating others with dignity and respect, and speaking up for what’s right.
After graduating from Nassau Community College, Michael attended Cornell University and the Boston University School of Law. He began his career as a prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, where he rose through the ranks to manage and lead the Sex Crimes Unit, an office of over 1,300 prosecutors and professional staff, while continuing to prosecute serious crimes himself.
In 2010, Michael moved to Colorado, rising to Deputy Attorney General in charge of the Criminal Section.
Michael moved to Colorado to lead the Attorney General’s DNA Justice Review Project, where he led efforts that successfully overturned wrongful convictions. Months later, he was named Colorado's Deputy Attorney General, where he supervised multiple units and cases all around the state, including homicides, public corruption, and election fraud. As Deputy AG, Michael supervised multiple front-line units, including Special Prosecutions, Environmental Crimes, Financial Fraud, Medicaid Fraud, DNA Justice Review Project, and the Peace Officer Standards and Training Unit. He also helped shape reform while serving on the state’s Commission on Criminal & Juvenile Justice. He left the Attorney General’s Office after being recruited to serve as second-in-command, the Assistant District Attorney, for Jefferson and Gilpin Counties.
Since 2018, Michael has served more than 330,000 Coloradans as an elected District Attorney known for focusing on justice, safety, and community.
In addition to leading the office, he still handles cases himself – from cold case homicides to vehicular fatalities to child sex assaults. When tragedy struck in the King Soopers mass shooting, Michael personally led the prosecution team. When rising cycling star Magnus White was tragically killed in a hit-and-run, or when a hate crime was committed against peaceful protesters on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall, Michael fought for justice for the victims, their families, and the people of Colorado.
As District Attorney, Michael has developed new treatment models and cost-effective interventions that are being replicated across Colorado.
These include the development of problem-solving courts, diversion programs, and the state's first Domestic Violence Acute Response Team and the DA Vehicular Response Team. As Attorney General, Michael will fight to keep our communities safe, protect consumers and workers, defend reproductive rights, and safeguard Colorado’s water and natural resources. He is also the past president of the District Attorneys of Colorado.
Michael lives in Boulder County with his wife, Antonia, and their two children.
An avid ultrarunner and outdoorsman, he is grateful every day for the Colorado trails and communities he’s committed to protecting. He teaches law at the University of Colorado and mentors the next generation of public servants. He is the recipient of multiple community and public service awards.