Philip Van Cise's crime busting to be remembered at Bill Ritter-led dedication of new justice center named for him

At 10 a.m. this morning, Governor Bill Ritter is scheduled to speak at the dedication of the new Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center, at 490 W. Colfax. The event will no doubt bring a great deal of satisfaction to family members and others in the community who spent years arguing that...

By Michael Roberts

April 14, 2010

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

At 10 a.m. this morning, Governor Bill Ritter is scheduled to speak at the dedication of the new Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center, at 490 W. Colfax.

The event will no doubt bring a great deal of satisfaction to family members and others in the community who spent years arguing that the justice center should be named for Philip Van Cise, a fearless former Denver district attorney who fought crime in the Mile High City at the cost of his career.

Alan Prendergast's feature article about Van Cise, published in February 2008, brought attention to this quiet campaign, which he further documented in a series of blogs (click here, here and here for samples). In the end, Van Cise's story was so compelling that his supporters won the day. A day like today.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Westword has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

Follow:

Facebook: 111180895657427

Twitter: @mikerobertscolo