The Omak-Chronicle reported today the death of Emma-Paulsen, the elected Ferry County Prosecuting Attorney. I think I first met Emma Paulsen around 2005 when I first started taking cases in Okanogan County. She worked as public-defender and also did private work on the side. I would have lunch with her on occasion, and she would sometimes fill in for me in court. Her public-defense clients were often very glad to have her, and she would often work until midnight preparing her cases.

Here is a picture of me, Emma Paulsen, and attorney Anthony Martinez. We all went out to dinner at the Hotel Monaco in Seattle. Emma gave a presentation the next day at the Washington State Bar Association. Her t-shirt read: “I am a lady with the vocabulary of a well-educated sailor.”

In 2014, she moved to Republic, Washington to run for a position I once held, Ferry County Prosecuting Attorney. It is a position that is correctly viewed as a public service. The work hours are long, and the work can be maddening. Her predecessor was known as being lenient, and she made it known that she was going to be a bit tougher. She forged stronger alliances with the local police departments, and would sometime accompany them on ride-alongs so she could learn more about what they did, and also provide them with direction on what she needed from them. She was an excellent lawyer. I will always remember her as a good-natured lawyer who was always on top of her game and rarely lost in court. I have kind of been in a daze since hearing about her death today, but I dug up this picture that I like. I posted this on Facebook, but I wanted to share it with people who are not on Facebook.