Assistant prosecutor steps down after six years on the job

by Peter Jakey–Managing Editor

The Presque Isle County prosecutor’s office will be in need of a new assistant prosecutor following the resignation announcement of Meghan Hurley, who has served in the office for six years this month. Her last day is Feb. 28.

Hurley made the public announcement during Friday’s Presque Isle County Board of Commissioners meeting. She will be working in a similar position in Berrien County.

“Meghan is an amazing young lady, who is an extremely talented lawyer,” said county prosecutor Rick Steiger.  “I am sorry that she is leaving.”

Unlike, previous assistant prosecutors, her love of Rogers City made it difficult for the Buffalo, New York transplant to leave. She starts her new job, Monday, March 3. “I wanted to stay as long as I could,” said Hurley Tuesday afternoon. This was her first job out of Cooley Law School in Lansing.

Being raised, and going to school in larger cities, it was an adjustment coming to Presque Isle County.

“I grew to love it,” she said. “It’ll now be an adjustment going back to a bigger city.”

Meghan moved to the area on Super Bowl Sunday, 2008, and started the next day.

“I remember everything was closed, so I ate at Kelly’s (Venture Inn) for the first time.” She did not have any cash and found out they did not take credit cards. She was surprised when they said, “‘That’s OK, you can pay us tomorrow,’ ” said Meghan, errupting in laughter of disbelief that a stranger was allowed that courtesy. “It’s a great story, and it’s a great part of being part of this town.”

She’s also enjoyed working with her office family on the second floor of the county annex.

“The community takes you in,” said Meghan. “My family would come here from Buffalo and spend a week or two.”

She would have liked to stay, but her fiancé works downstate.

“I completely understand,” said Steiger. “He attempted to locate employment in this area, and he was unable to do so.” The wedding is scheduled for late in the summer.

Steiger knew this day could come.

“When I interviewed Meghan, I was impressed with her character,” said Steiger. “I had one condition, if she accepted the job. ‘You will have to promise me you will remain here for two years.’ ” His hope is to hire someone that would get vested in the community, rather than leave after a year. Meghan was impacted by parental termination/abuse/neglect cases

“where you start off by taking the child and putting them in foster care and seeing them progress.” Sometime the parents cannot overcome their problems, and working in the office for six years, she has seen some get adopted and have better lives.

“I always tried to sit in on the adoptions,” she said.

Meghan also worked on the forfeiture portion of the recent horse neglect case. “That really showed an outpouring of the community. It took a group effort, because we don’t have the facilities to house that many animals. Animals cannot help themselves. In cases like that, it is rewarding.”

“We are gong to miss her,” said Steiger.