Candidate Biography
Originally from Minnesota, I first came to Arizona in 1992 by motorcycle, moving here permanently in 1996, and have lived in Bisbee since 1999. After working for the Office of the Legal Defender for a year and a half, I spent the next four years in private practice with another attorney. In 2005, I returned to the Office of the Legal Defender where I work to this day. I have had the privilege of meeting and working with amazing people both in and out of court. In my 23 years of practice in Cochise County, I have observed and participated in countless court proceedings. Almost without exception, most people who need to come to court would rather be elsewhere. I believe that a court should strive to be mindful of the needs of people that are not obvious in a courtroom setting. This includes the time and cost to those who have to travel great distances to court, the costs to litigants of having their attorneys wait in court, childcare costs and lost wages for single mothers, ranch hands and small business owners who need to come to court. To me, this is not only a fundamental obligation of the court, is also makes good sense and ultimately cultivates greater respect for the court and the rule of law.