Lee named new prosecutor for Grant County

EPHRATA — The Grant County commissioners named Angus Lee as the replacement for Grant County Prosecutor John Knodell.

Lee is scheduled to become prosecutor after Knodell is sworn in as a Superior Court judge on Friday. Knodell was elected to replace Grant County Superior Court Judge Ken Jorgensen.

The Grant County Republican Party chose three candidates to fill the position, Lee, Albert Lin and Robert Schiffner. The commissioners interviewed the candidates on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Commissioners Cindy Carter and Carolann Swartz said it was a difficult decision and the commissioners received a lot of public comment on their choices.

Lee came into the interview well-prepared, Carter said. He had understood the budget and how the prosecutor’s office affects other departments in the county.

“When he came to us, it was hard to believe he was only in the office for two-and-a-half years,” Carter said. “He was aware of his strengths. He was aware of his weaknesses. He was aware of some changes he could make to possibly better the office.”

Lee is considering changing how the county handles the charge of driving with a suspended license in the third degree. He said the charge makes up 33 percent of the cases in district court. Other counties send out a notice asking people to pay the fine and renew their license in 60 days, and about 60 percent of the people comply.

“He would like to move to vertical prosecuting,” Carter said. “If (a case is) appealed (the same prosecutor) would also do the appellate work. Sometimes it takes (the appealing attorney) up to 40 hours to prepare for the case.”

Along with those changes, Lee wants to establish a drug court in superior court to deal with cases involving methamphetamine, he said. While there is a drug and DUI court in district court, it primarily handles charges of driving under the influence.  

Swartz also said Lee had a clear and realistic view of the goals he wanted to accomplish. The prosecutor’s job requires them to lead the office and to prosecute cases. She said Lee had a good sense of his strengths and weaknesses in that area.

“He really wants to get in and make the office work in an organized manner,” she said. “He doesn’t feel he needs to be the lead person (in every prosecution). If he felt the case could be handled better by another attorney, then he would assign that attorney.” 

While Lee was the precinct committee officer’s first choice, Carter and Swartz said it didn’t play a large role in their decision.

“I ran on the Republican ticket and I wasn’t the number one pick,” Carter said. “(Swartz) ran on the Republican ticket and she wasn’t the number one pick. I’m in office and I wasn’t endorsed, so I’m not going to sit here and say that it’s the number that matters. We picked who we felt would do the best in the office.”

Lee said being selected feels good and he plans on conducting a period of intense observation before he makes any changes.

“I believe in a deliberate approach to change,” he said. “So the changes we make are effective, long term and wise, so we can make sure we’re serving the community the best we can.”

Anybody who steps into a new leadership position will experience some challenges, but Lee said he is ready to meet them.

“I think this is a difficult process for a lot of people,” he said. “The key is to create and open a dialogue and to work with people and let them know that you appreciate the work they’ve done … This is a time that will be emotional for some people, but come Monday morning I believe we will be a team. We do have an office full of people who do believe in fighting crime and I recognize that and appreciate that.”

Lee will hold the position until November, when he needs to run for election. If opposed, the winner of the election will need to run again at the end of the term, which is in 2010.