John William Suthers (born October 18, 1951) is an American attorney and politician serving as the Mayor of Colorado Springs, Colorado. He previously served as the Attorney General of Colorado, U.S. Attorney for Colorado, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Corrections, and Fourth Judicial District Attorney. He is a member of the Republican Party. Early life and education Suthers was born in Denver and adopted a month later by William and Marguerite Suthers of Colorado Springs. His father died when Suthers was 15, and his mother died when he was 23. He attended St. Mary's High School in Colorado Springs, and the University of Notre Dame, from which he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in government in 1974. Suthers graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1977. He attended college and law school on academic scholarships. Career Early career From 1977 to 1981, Suthers served as a deputy and chief deputy district attorney in Colorado Springs. From 1979 to 1981, he headed the Economic Crime Division of the district attorney’s office and co-authored a book on consumer fraud and white-collar crime. During his time as a prosecutor at the local level, he tried cases ranging from drunken driving to first degree murder and from shoplifting to securities fraud. In 1981, Suthers became a litigation partner in the Colorado Springs law firm of Sparks Dix, P.C. He remained with the firm until 1989, at which time he defeated an incumbent to become the elected district attorney of the Fourth Judicial District. He served as president of the Colorado District Attorneys Council in 1994-1995. At the conclusion of his second term, Suthers returned to Sparks Dix in 1997 as senior counsel in charge of the firm’s litigation section. He then ran for Attorney General in 1998 and lost 47.5% to 50% to Colorado Department of Natural Resources Director Ken Salazar. In January 1999, Suthers was appointed executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections by Governor Bill Owens. In that capacity he managed a department of 6,000 employees and an annual budget of more than $500 million. Suthers has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Denver School of Law and as a scholar in residence at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. He also has held several bar association leadership positions, including president of the El Paso County Bar Association and senior vice