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Known as “The Emperor of the North,” Gary Walker is the longest serving prosecutor in Michigan’s history, appointed in 1974 and re-elected every four years since. His colleagues say that “he has seen the evolution of prosecution from the quill pen to the computer.” This year will be Walker’s 32nd working as Marquette County’s prosecuting attorney. On the shores of Lake Superior in Michigan’s upper peninsula, Marquette is a jurisdiction spanning 18,803 square miles, encompassing three cities and serving 64,000 people. The Marquette County Prosecutor’s Office currently employs nine attorneys and seven support staff, a far cry from Walker’s first year as the elected prosecutor when the office only employed three attorneys: the elected and two assistants. The Marquette County Prosecutor’s Office has a diverse caseload, handling 3,000 misdemeanor, 400 felonies, a high number of probate cases and hundreds of actions for child support and paternity each year. The office also serves as the corporate counsel for Marquette, handling all of the county’s civil work including labor negotiations and issues involving county unions. In three decades much has changed in Marquette County. Since his first year as the elected attorney, Walker has taken the office from part-time to full-time status; the office’s budget has increased from about $150,000 in 1974 to more than $1 million today; staffing has increased substantially; and legal issues have come and gone as priority for the prosecutors. But Walker said, “If one thing has changed over the past 30 years it is that we didn’t talk about prevention back then. Now prosecutors are tapped into prevention.” In keeping with the goal of preventing crime, the Marquette County Prosecutor’s Office has run a domestic violence program since the late 1970s, a standout accomplishment for Gary Walker and Marquette County. Walker described domestic violence as “a crime against society,” requiring a proactive approach. The policy of his jurisdiction is to defuse domestic violence before it becomes a more severe crime. He said, “In order to eliminate violence, we should attack it where it is too often learned—in the home.” The county has also received funding to increase police presence in schools witnessing increased violence. The prosecutors are working with community and faith-based organizations to prevent school-aged children from getting involved in gang activity. “If we are serious about doing our job, it is important to keep our communities safe on the front end,” he said. Fortunately, Marquette County sees little street crime. Robberies, homicides and the like are very rare so Walker and his assistant prosecutors in Marquette are able to focus their attention on preventative measures rather than reactive ones. “Marquette County is large and varied enough to provide an interesting caseload for prosecutors, but small enough that the caseload can be managed and problem areas can be targeted,” Walker said. He describes the Marquette office as “representative of the great majority of prosecutors’ offices in the country.” The small community feel of his jurisdiction is “a blessing and a curse. I don’t have to take a poll to figure out what my electorate is thinking, they let me know when I’m in the check-out line at the grocery store. I have a good sense about what my community wants and needs, but everything happens on a more personal level here than in larger electorates.” In the beginning of his career, Walker tried a child sexual abuse case involving a young girl and her stepfather. The trial was a bench trial and the judge found the defendant not guilty. Distraught over the verdict, Walker could not seem to find peace with the outcome of the case until months later when he received a Christmas card from the victim that read, “Thank you for believing me.” And from that year on, for a long time, he received the same note each Christmas. “That case meant more to my career as a prosecutor than any other,” he said, “We can and do often have an impact in ways we are often unaware of—a lesson I learned, taught to me by a 12-year-old girl.” According to Thomas Robertson, executive director of Michigan’s Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council and friend, “Gary believes in prosecution as more than the adjudication of cases in his office and crimes in his jurisdiction. For over 30 years he has given generously in time and talent as a leader on boards, commissions, working groups and community organizations.” Over his 30 years Walker has been appointed to serve state-wide on boards and commissions by several of Michigan’s governors and state supreme court. He says his most meaningful involvement has been with Michigan’s Prosecuting Attorneys Association where he has served as a director since 1975 and as chair of the state’s coordinating council since 1992. “The professional stimulation and personal friendships have made the last 30 years rewarding and extremely enjoyable.” He is active in the juvenile justice community and, in addition to his involvement and affiliation with other legal and community organizations, he serves as a vice president of the National District Attorneys Association, sits on the American Prosecutors Research Institute’s Advisory Council on Juvenile Justice, and serves on the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section Council. He believes that it is important for prosecutors to give back to the community. Robertson says Walker “optimizes all that is good and right in prosecution. He is forthright and his integrity is beyond reproach. He has the respect and admiration of all of his colleagues.” James Backstrom, prosecuting attorney from Dakota County, Minnesota, fellow NDAA board member and friend of Walker said, “Gary is extremely well respected by his colleagues. He is an outstanding prosecutor and dedicated public servant and has done a great deal for our profession.” Marquette County Probate Judge Michael Anderegg was hired as an assistant prosecutor by Walker in the 1970s. “I really respect Gary,” he said, “He is the kind of prosecutor every place should have. He has good judgment, courage, sensibility and an interest in protecting the community.” When Walker isn’t prosecuting or participating in one of his various board meetings, he enjoys fly-fishing and bird hunting. In fact, a large part of the reason he moved to Marquette was because of its beauty. He said “Spending time on a stream with one of my sons is the height of enjoyment.” He and his wife Colleen have raised four boys and are blessed with many great friends. Walker has some simple words of advice for those lawyers starting out. To those still in law school, he says “Apply. There is currently a lot of turnover in prosecutors’ offices, and the rewards are priceless.” And to those new prosecutors, he says, “Get involved. To become a prosecutor you need to get involved because we are privileged to occupy a position of influence, we owe it to our communities to flex that influence in our communities, schools, state legislatures and even nationally. “As prosecutors we are blessed to occupy a position in which we get to make a difference in society, and we get to do so on a broader canvas than most. We are in a position of trust and honor,” Walker said, “I consider myself lucky to have been here for this length of time.” |
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