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Aspen: Sheriff's Candidates All Admit Prior Drug Use

By Jeralyn, Section Colorado News
Posted on Fri Aug 06, 2010 at 08:57:00 AM EST
Tags: Aspen, Pitkin County Sheriff, Joe DiSalvo (all tags)
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I've been following the Aspen Sheriff's race and rooting for Deputy Sheriff Joe Di Salvo, who has promised to continue the policies of long-time and much beloved Sheriff Bob Braudis, who is retiring. Last week I wrote about the candidates' debate on undercover activity in the county (DiSalvo, like Braudis, opposes it, saying it fosters mistrust in the community.)

Last night, the three candidates faced the local media for what is called "Squirm Night." It's just what it sounds like: the candidates are asked questions that might make them squirm.

What came out: Two of the three had been arrested, and all three had used illegal drugs, although one couldn't remember the last time and a second only admitted to smoking pot in Amsterdam six years ago. I think DiSalvo gave the most honest answer. He gave no excuses (like "it was legal where I did it" or "I can't remember") and said simply, "1984." [More...]

The three candidates are Joe DiSalvo, a Pitkin County deputy sheriff since 1987, who has the strong endorsement of retiring sheriff Bob Braudis; Rick Magnuson, an Aspen policeman who unsuccessfully challenged Braudis four years ago and who I wrote about in detail here and noted some oddities about here; and Rick Leonard, a former police officer in NY and FL who moved to Colorado four years ago.

On arrests, Leonard said he had a DUI in the early 80's. DiSalvo said:

DiSalvo said he was arrested the night in 2004 when he punched a man in Jimmy’s bar in Aspen. He also pointed out that since the third-degree assault charge was dropped after a settlement agreement, the arrest had technically been erased. “So technically no, I’ve never been arrested, but honestly, yes I was,” DiSalvo said.

Regarding the arrest, here's what he said a few weeks ago about it:

He discovered from the incident what it was like to be arrested....“So I pretty quickly learned how I didn’t want anyone to be tr