Gaylord Files for Reelection as Prosecuting Attorney

Randall Gaylord – Contributed photo

This week Randall Gaylord filed for the position of Prosecuting Attorney.
“Serving as the public’s attorney has unique challenges which I enjoy,” said Gaylord.

Gaylord says he has been leading the office in the right direction for the past 20 years and he intends to continue on that course.

Over the past three years, he has filled several key positions after the retirement of long-serving employees. “I can’t say enough good things about the people of this office and their skill and dedication to public service,” he said.

Gaylord said he can’t say what crimes people will commit or what ideas for governing he will be called upon to address. “Four years ago, I would not have predicted the charter amendments or legal challenges to them, the reform of the marijuana laws, or high profile crimes”.

He pledges that the next term will continue to include a common sense approach to decision making mixed with thorough research of the law and the facts. The public can also expect to see sustained support for the crime victim services center which was started by Gaylord 18 years ago and which has provided guidance and information for victims of all types of crime.

In San Juan County, the Prosecuting Attorney wears many hats: chief prosecutor of crimes of all types in the county, advisor to county officials, enforcer of child support laws, and also the county coroner. The office has five lawyers (including the elected prosecutor), five staff members, and an annual budget of about one million dollars.

Gaylord says he has seized opportunities to keep the lawyers and staff in the office informed of changes in the law and modern ways to prepare and file documents. “Judges, clerks and other county officials are looking at ways to make cut expenses, and we are doing our part to bring more efficiency to the legal process,” he said.

Gaylord is a leader among prosecutors in the state having served as President of the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, President of the Washington Association of Elected Officials, and a frequent speaker at continuing legal education training for prosecutors on topics such as such as ethics, contracts, taxation, land use, and coroner procedures.

Gaylord, age 56, lives near Eastsound on Orcas Island with Marny, a fourth grade teacher at the public school. Together they raised their two children in the islands, who are now college graduates. Gaylord attended Colgate University, Utah State and University of Utah Law School. He worked one year as a law clerk at the Utah Supreme Court and eight years in private practice before being elected Prosecuting Attorney in 1994.

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