Governor-Elect Bill Ritter wasted no time in announcing his transition team — and that he’s hiring:

The team consists of Daniel Yohannes, a longtime Denver banker; Jim Lyons, a Denver attorney who is a close friend of former President Clinton; and former state Sen. Norma Anderson, a Republican who served as house majority leader.

….Ritter said he would soon set up a Web site where people interested in working for the new administration could submit resumes. “When the inauguration comes we’ll be ready to have a government in place,” said Ritter.

Let’s hope Mr. Ritter can balance out the state’s District Court bench. Governor Owens had a general policy of not hiring criminal defense lawyers, including public defenders, to the bench, believing that ex-prosecutors would be tougher on crime. In fact, he bragged he had:

Fulfilled his promise to appoint tough prosecutors to the bench with the expectation that victims of a crime, when before the court, will receive consideration on par to that of the offenders.

Tough on crime shouldn’t be the test. It’s the ability to impart justice and be impartial that counts. I’m betting Bill Ritter knows the difference.