COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch County Board of Commissioners brought a request from Prosecutor Zach Stempien to fill the Chief Assistant Prosecutors position forward during their Thursday work session but not before Commissioners Tom Mathew and Tim Stoll expressed some concerns after Val White’s sudden departure from the Prosecutors Office.
Stempien said last Friday that White had been “relieved of her duties.” He declined to offer a reason at that time behind the decision to let White go.
When Mathew asked for details why she left on Thursday, Stempien told Commissioners the move was made for the betterment of the office.
Stempien also said legally Prosecutors have a lot of leeway in appointing and relieving Chief Prosecutors as they see fit. He was hesitant to give more specific details about White’s departure during an open meeting but Stempien added there were no criminal or ethical allegations against White.
Mathew felt the public has a right to know.
Stoll said there have been two sudden departures from the prosecutors office since the first of the year which worried him.
Whoever is hired would start at the low end of the salary range at over $79,000.
Commissioners voted 3-2 not to bring forward Stempien’s request to post the Assistant Prosecuting Attorney position at this time.
Stempien was hired as Chief Assistant Prosecutor by White in February of 2019 when she was the County Prosecutor. She decided not to run for a full term as Prosecutor in the 2020 election. Stempien ran instead and was elected last November.
Could it be this new kid in town isn’t buying into the good ole boys game? We can only hope.