30+ Years of Legal Experience

A record built in the courtroom.

When I was a child, my grandfather was friends with a lawyer named Hardaway Marks. Hardaway was an imposing figure to me as a kid not only because of his size but his presence; he was a well known lawyer in a small town and a member of the Virginia House of Commons. He was a leader in the fight for civil rights for African Americans and the Native American Tribes in Virginia. Through him, I also met Rev. Curtis Harris who had been a leader in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. They taught me the power that the law had to change lives and the responsibility to pursue justice.

After law school, I was able to join the Missoula City Attorney's Office and devoted my career to seeking justice as a prosecutor. Eventually, I became the Chief Prosecutor and focused on the prosecution of complex cases involving domestic violence, sexual assault and DUIs. Sometimes the complexity arose from the facts and technical aspects of the case and sometimes the complexity was more personal and focused on serving the victims of crimes. I worked with the Police, courts, social services organizations and victim rights groups to improve prosecution standards across Missoula County and the State of Montana.

Since moving to Island County in 2016, I have continued to pursue justice for individuals and defend the constitutional rights of criminal defendants. The change in my law practice was necessary due to our move to Washington, but I remained devoted to public service by providing pro bono service to many victims in protection order cases. After 10 years of living and working in Island County, I would like to return to public service and ask for your vote to be the next Island County Prosecutor.