Prosecutor’s office loses its criminal expert

Published 5:27 pm Monday, July 29, 2024

SOUTH BEND — The second-in-command at the Pacific County Prosecutor’s Office has moved on to greener pastures after being offered more money in neighboring Grays Harbor. The departure comes after a time of stability at the agency.

Daniel Crawford left the prosecutor’s office earlier this month, leaving a void in the chief deputy prosecutor position. It is unclear who may move into the position that works directly below Prosecutor Michael Rothman.

“Mr. Crawford will be sorely missed,” Rothman said. “He has been the backbone of the criminal division of the prosecutor’s office. He was the driving force behind the homicide convictions obtained by the Pacific County Prosecutor’s Office both by plea and trial since his arrival in Pacific County.

“At this time, we are looking to add a prosecutor and make a determination as to who best fills the criminal chief position,” Rothman added.

Rothman came into office in mid-November 2021 after being selected by the Pacific County Commissioners as prosecutor following the abrupt resignation of Benjamin Haslam. Rothman quickly turned to Crawford and solicited his help moving the agency forward.

Crawford worked Pacific County’s biggest trials over the past two years, including the rape/incest trial of Ronald Barton and the murder trial of Thomas Shotwell. The cases each resulted in convictions and lengthy prison sentences.

The primary reason for Crawford’s departure came down to his salary. Crawford sought higher pay soon after he was hired by the county, which resulted in the county revamping its salary table for him.

Historically, the position of chief criminal deputy prosecutor was placed at Grade 20 with a maximum Step 8 that, in 2022, had a monthly salary of $8,750. Rothman solicited for a raise for Crawford and others in his office.

Crawford was reclassified to a new Grade 21, Step 8 during a commissioner meeting on April 12, 2022, with a new monthly salary of $9,374, equating to over $112,000 annually.

In 2024, Crawford was at Grade 21, Step 9 with a monthly salary of $10,501 and an additional $315.03 via a 3% education incident because of his law degree. He made $10,816.03 plus benefits, equating to over $129,000 annually.

The grade for Crawford next year was preliminary looking at bumping up to over $11,000 a month.

As for Rothman, he plans to stick around, stating, “I will continue to serve the people of Pacific County to the best of my ability.”