During my 40-year legal career as an attorney and judge I was privy to numerous violent and negligent acts that often resulted in death or maiming. The victims included the most vulnerable children, including infants, and the elderly who were robbed of the opportunity to enjoy retirement after many years of hard work and sacrifice.

Some were the result of acts by evil and despicable humans. Others were the result of careless and negligent behavior absent of any ill intent. Nevertheless, the trauma was tragic and oftentimes beyond comprehension.

The latter part of my career was dedicated to presiding over matters involving water law, the treatment of the mentally ill, the vast majority of truancy cases and the entire juvenile delinquency docket.

I have always had a love for working with children. I suppose it was because I was the eldest of 11 children and saw the unconditional love my parents bestowed upon me and my siblings. Prior to attending law school, I taught in the Headstart program and two years as a sixth-grade teacher in Gardner, a small farming community 25 miles from my hometown of Walsenburg.

Stay up to speed: Sign-up for daily opinion in your inbox Monday-Friday

I suspect I am somewhat naïve but have always believed if society could utilize every available resource to assist families in need a vast majority of the future problems would not exist because our children would be prepared to handle whatever was thrown at them. But I did realize my hope might be a pipe dream.

In any event, I realized in my work with individuals involved in the legal system that regardless of how committed a convicted adult felon was to change their life they would always suffer the stigma of a felony conviction and struggle throughout life.

Recognizing that fact, I chose to work with children who found themselves in the justice system with the purpose of ensuring we could curb their behavior before they became adults, and provide them with a lifetime of hope and opportunity. My truancy and delinquency courts were supported by every resource the community could provide to our families and were active participants in virtually every docket I called. As a result, I came to know the children and their families in a very personal way.

I vividly remember the period of gang violence in Colorado, including Pueblo, during the mid 1990s. Children were being killed for the most foolish of reasons, not that there is ever justification for taking someone’s life.

It was heartbreaking to lose the kids we had worked with because of gang violence.

It has now been more than 11 years since I retired. Unfortunately I continue to learn of gang-related deaths of adults who I once worked with when they were children. The pain is still there, but the lapse of time and association has eased it to some extent.

In November I attended an annual fundraising event sponsored by Spark the Change. The event raises funds for our local mental health pro bono program.

As the program was ending, a young man, Daniel, approached me and asked if he could speak with me. He was completely tattooed. He was very articulate, well prepared and respectful. I learned he had been gang-affiliated at a very high level, imprisoned and was interested in starting a non-profit to work with youth who might be susceptible to gang involvement. He was aware of my previous involvement working with kids and thought I might guide him along the way. We agreed to meet last month.

He brought his mother to the meeting with him and explained she would be on his board of directors. He indicated it was his desire to work with kids because of his past and the fact his son was murdered in early 2022.

Daniel indicated all the steps he had taken prior to our meeting to show his sincerity in securing a non-profit. It included mentoring by Mark Salazar, the Director of Hard Knox Gang Prevention, a non-profit. Salazar was deeply rooted in gang life resulting in extensive prison time. His gang involvement resulted in being shot and stabbed on numerous occasions. Salazar works with several community agencies and is well respected in the community.

I grilled Daniel extensively including delving into his past life as a criminal with the intent of observing his reaction to questions he was undoubtedly going to be asked along the way. He remained respectful and accepted responsibility for his past behavior. I was very impressed with Daniel and was convinced of his sincerity. I firmly believed he would make a difference in the community as someone who could persuade the youth who were at risk of becoming gang bangers to eschew that type of life. I was willing to work with him and we defined further steps.

Daniel was shot and killed 11 days after we met, on Dec. 31. Individuals from his past gang affiliations confronted him in a way he could not escape and took his life.

I write this article because it took me back to the days when I dealt with these very issues on a daily basis. The impression Daniel left on me in such a short period of time led me to believe he was going to be a tremendous influence in the community. I realize I could be wrong but I was convinced Daniel was the real thing. His death has deeply affected me leading me to believe my instincts were right.

The sad reality is the desire to leave gang life behind doesn’t mean it will let you. It’s eerily similar to the words in “Hotel California” – “you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.”

Dennis Maes served 24 years as a 10th Judicial District judge in Pueblo and was chief judge for 17 of those years. He previously served as director of Pueblo County Legal Services, Inc.; as a public defender and as an attorney in private practice.