Morrow County loses its deputy district attorney
By Terry Murry on Tuesday, September 26th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
HEPPNER – Morrow County District Attorney Justin Nelson said Deputy District Attorney Zach Williams has resigned and is working to move to Washington state to be closer to family.
“I’ve always said, it’s not one of those positions where I say your job is number one,” he said. “The most important thing is your family. While I’m very sad to see him leave, I think this is the best thing for him right now.”
Williams joined the office in July 2022 after working for several years with the Umatilla County District Attorney’s Office. Nelson said that from the start the deputy district attorney went out of his way to work with law enforcement.
“He made it a priority to really work hand in hand with our officers,” Nelson said. “He was on the phone with them, meeting them in person, answering their questions, being available to take those calls and answer any sort of questions.”
In addition to working well with law enforcement, Williams also helped the office catch up with outstanding cases. Nelson had been without a deputy district attorney for about a year.
“I can now say we’re completely caught up,” he said. “I’m hoping to do what I can to keep us caught up, but you know it’s tough when you’re down to one person. It’s going to be tough for us here in the office, trying to fill that position.”
Nelson, who was born and raised in Morrow County, said the thing that makes it tough is convincing lawyers fresh out of school that rural Oregon could be a great place to put down roots. He said the Morrow County Board of Commissioners has made the salary competitive with other counties, but it’s still not easy to find people who want to move.
