AUBURN — Deputy District Attorney Andrew Robinson made official Tuesday his candidacy for top prosecutor in Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties.

Robinson, who has served as a prosecutor for 14 years, said he has the “integrity, the respect of the law enforcement community and (the) desire to do justice” necessary to be a successful district attorney.

He was joined at a noon news conference on the Androscoggin County Courthouse steps by Attorney General and former District Attorney Janet Mills and District Attorney Norman Croteau, who recently named Robinson his second-in-command.

More than 50 supporters, including prosecutors, local police officers, several county sheriffs, a Maine Warden Service officer, probation and parole officers and defense attorneys cheered as Robinson talked about the need for a criminal justice system that members of the community trust and feel is keeping them safe. With a nod to his wife, Yvette, Robinson, 43, said he has a duty to also keep his three children safe.

Justice, to Robinson, means, “ensuring that you hold a criminal responsible for his conduct and that a fair sentence is imposed for each case,” he said. It also means “reaching out to victims and ensuring that their voice is heard,” said Robinson, whose first job as a prosecutor was trying domestic violence cases.

Croteau, 61, who will not be seeking re-election after 20 years in the job, said Tuesday that Robinson is a “seasoned, knowledgeable and skillful” prosecutor.” Moreover, he is “simply . . . a good man who wants to do the right thing for the citizens of Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties,” Croteau said.

Mills, of Farmington, said she’s known Robinson, also of Farmington, for about 20 years as a member of the community, as a family friend and assistant district attorney in the Farmington branch office.

She joked that, early on, he was the only one in the office who knew how to run a computer. “So, he’s ahead of the curve in every way.”

As deputy district attorney, Robinson is successfully juggling budget issues and trials, said Mills, who served as district attorney for 15 years, beginning in the 1980s.

She lauded Robinson as a “compassionate supporter of justice, a passionate trial lawyer and an excellent manager.” She predicted he would make a “terrific” district attorney.

Candidates for the office cannot circulate petitions with the state until after Jan. 1.

cwilliams@sunjournal.com