Commissioners select Melanie Bailey as Okanogan County prosecuting attorney

Noma, a Republican, announced his resignation last Dec. 10, and pointed to budgetary issues, staff shortages, and case backlogs among his reasons for leaving his post (see The Quad, Dec. 16, 2020).

Melanie Bailey, a former Okanogan County chief criminal deputy prosecutor, was appointed on Jan. 11, over Dave Stevens who has served as the county’s chief criminal deputy prosecutor since January 2018. Bailey, who assumed her new position on Jan. 16, was serving as a contract public defender for the county at the time of her selection. She is from East Wenatchee and once worked for Chelan County as a defense attorney. She attended Wenatchee Valley College, Central Washington University in Ellensburg, and is a graduate of South Texas College of Law Houston.

Stevens, a graduate of the University of Washington Law School, served as a Naval prosecutor at postings as various as Afghanistan and Kosovo, was Spokane County’s deputy prosecutor from 2002 to 2010, and a public defender for the Colville Confederated Tribes.

In separate interviews the Commissioners asked both candidates 20 questions regarding their experience and management philosophies. Both candidates also presented their professional resumes, letters of recommendations and answered a series of written questions.

Both candidate interviews can be heard online at countywarch.org.