Devon Anderson is no stranger to the courthouse. She was a judge and prosecutor and criminal defense attorney took over as DA. Now she'll step in to continue his work.
Less than 3 weeks ago, Devon Anderson was at her husband Mike's funeral. Mike, as he wanted to be called, was DA for less than a year and now he was gone. He was taken too soon by cancer at just 57 years old, leaving Ms. Anderson and their two young children.
On Thursday, Devon Anderson will take the oath of office to continue his work.
"He loved being a , he loved being a prosecutor. But this, he was made for this job and it's terrible he got sick right when he got the job," she said. "He wanted to be at work, he wanted to be at work. Two days before he died, he said, 'I've got to get back to work.'"
She tells us she thought about being the DA years ago. What prosecutor doesn't, she asked? But in the past few weeks, people approached her about applying for this appointment. She did and she got it from the governor.
Mike was at work the week before he died. He never said publically when he was diagnosed. It was his decision and one Devon supports.
"What did the public have a right to know about Mike's illness?" we asked.
"As much as he wanted to tell them. As long as he was doing his job and fulfilling the duties of the office, then it was his decision how much to share," she said.
"Not something voters should have known about when they cast their ballot?" we asked.
"It wasn't applicable then," she said.
Ms. Anderson tells us he was doing the job and now she will continue his work.
Anderson will be sworn in Thursday and will be on a primary ballot in March. She pledges to continue the work her husband started and makes a clear point that she is doing so with the help and support of Former Judge Belinda Hill, who was Mike Anderson's first assistant. Hill will continue to do the job of first assistant.
"She has pledged her full support to me. She has, thank goodness, agreed to continue as first assistant," Devon Anderson said. "And we are going to do this together, together as a team."
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