Ferry Prosecutor County Al Nielson To Resign He Will Become Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor In Stevens County

Sat., Feb. 28, 1998

By John Craig johnc@spokesman.com

Longtime Ferry County Prosecutor Al Nielson will resign March 31 to become chief criminal deputy prosecutor in Stevens County.

“He feels it is time for a change, and I’m going to take advantage of it,” Stevens County Prosecutor Jerry Wetle said. “Stevens County is very fortunate to have someone of his experience apply.”

Nielson will replace David Soukup, who is going to Thurston County to work with a multi-agency drug task force.

Nielson, 46, has been the Ferry County prosecutor for 15 years. During the past several years, he has come under increasing criticism from county commissioners and constituents for advocating cooperation instead of confrontation with the Colville Confederated Tribes.

Twice since December, he has refused commissioners’ requests to sue the tribal government to resolve disputed jurisdiction over reservation land owned by non-Indians. The cash-starved county can’t afford such costly litigation, and isn’t likely to win, Nielson advised commissioners.

He said the reservation dispute was more a reason to stay than to go.

“I’m concerned that, in leaving, the county commissioners may take a step that they’ll regret or, more to the point, a step that is not in the county’s interests,” Nielson said.

Personal reasons were a greater factor in his decision to trade his $53,500-a-year prosecutor’s job for the $58,000 Stevens County job, he said.

His wife, Kate, wants to go back to college for a teaching certificate, and that will be easier to do if they live in Colville. Also, Nielson said he wants to develop his career as a trial lawyer.

Nielson is promoting his deputy, Steve Graham, as his replacement. Graham, 28, has worked for Nielson for two years since graduating from law school.

Graham is a fellow Gonzaga University graduate, but, more importantly, a fellow Democrat. Commissioners must appoint a replacement from a list presented by the Ferry County Democratic Central Committee.

The committee chairman, County Assessor John Sweetman, noted there are only seven attorneys in the county other than Nielson.

“I’m strongly biased toward whatever Allen wants,” Sweetman said of his close friend, Nielson. “But it will have to be considered dispassionately and as honestly and fairly as we can do it.”

, DataTimes

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