COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Branch County Commissioners are expected to formally name one time Prosecutor Terri Norris as the new Chief Public Defender during their meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
They brought forward a recommendation from Administrator Frank Walsh to hire her during their Thursday afternoon work session.
Pending formal approval, Norris is scheduled to start her new job on August 4. She was one of four applicants for the state funded position which has a posted salary of just under $121,000.
A six member committee consisting of Circuit Court Judge Bill O’Grady, District Court Judge Brent Weigle, Probate Court Judge Kirk Kashian, County Clerk Terry Kubasiak, County Commissioner Jon Houtz and Walsh reviewed the applications last week. Walsh said in his memo to the Commissioners that since all of the applicates were well known to a majority of committee members, they decided to extend to a recommendation without a formal interview process.
Norris has been a licensed attorney since 2002. She was the Branch County Prosecuting Attorney between 2009 and 2013 and a County Commissioner between 2017 and 2020. Norris has also been an assistant prosecutor and public defender over the last 23 years.
The Chief Public Defender position became open when Matthew Glaser suddenly resigned on May 22 after almost six years on the job.
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