Three candidates facing off for county prosecutor Aug. 6

CENTREVILLE – A former assistant, an incumbent and a previous officeholder are the three candidates seeking the job of St. Joseph County prosecutor.

St. Joseph County voters will decide Aug. 6 whether to support Deb Davis, David Marvin or John McDonough to the four-year term that starts Jan. 1. All three are running as Republicans; there are no Democrat candidates on the primary ballot.

The job comes with a salary of $128,214 in 2025.

Deb Davis

Davis is a 42-year-old Centreville native who now lives in Colon.

She was recruited as a part-time, special assistant prosecutor for St. Joseph County in June 2020 to help clear the backlog of felony cases when the office was short-staffed.

Davis said she quickly – and unexpectedly – embraced the job.

“I initially agreed to assist out of my sense of obligation, to help my community and my desire to help my respected colleagues in the criminal-justice system,” Davis said. “My breadth and depth of experience in the practice of law was an asset in that role, and I quickly realized that prosecution was the best use of my legal knowledge, tenacity, compassion and dedication to community service.”

Davis said as she excelled in prosecution, she recognized her full potential wasn’t being met in the role as assistant prosecutor. In addition, there were changes needed in management of the office and cases, she said.

“I realized that in order to implement the necessary changes, I would need to be the elected prosecutor,” she said.

A graduate of Thomas Cooley Law School, Davis was dismissed as an assistant prosecutor by Marvin earlier this year over an integrity issue that arose during a court case. Davis has maintained she did nothing wrong .

Davis said she has the most experience in conducting criminal trials as both a defense attorney and a prosecuting attorney, as well as the most experience as a private-practice attorney and managing a small-office environment in St. Joseph County.

“My genuine desire to promote a healthy work environment for employees is easily attainable: pay them well, train them well and treat them well,” she said. “Without competent, skilled leadership, the prosecutor’s office cannot operate efficiently or effectively. I plan to reduce the turnover of staff by implementing clear and consistent policies for employees that promote teamwork, enhance their legal skills, but also promote maintaining a healthy work-life balance.”

If elected, Davis would be St. Joseph County’s first female prosecutor.

David Marvin

Marvin, 49, is completing his first, four-year term.

A Three Rivers High School graduate, Marvin furthered his studies at Principia College in Illinois. Before graduating from Michigan State University Law School in 2001, Marvin studied abroad, spending a semester in China and another in Hong Kong.

Marvin said he stepped into the office at a time when it needed someone “to fix the mess created by mismanagement and the COVID backlog.” He said the staffing crisis confronting the nation, state and county means a leader who is efficient and dedicated is critical for the administration of justice.

“Nobody worthy of this pursuit of justice stepped up to the challenge during this election cycle,” he said. “I believe anybody suited for this work has an obligation to serve in whatever capacity is practicable – even if to prevent this critical public-service role from getting into the hands of somebody unfit for the work of justice.”

Marvin, a Lockport Township resident, said his strengths are integrity and an impeccable work ethic. He said his previous work as director of operations of a land-development company taught him to be practical and efficient.

“I go about all of my endeavors with heart and soul, and I understand the bigger picture,” he said. “The promise of self-government and liberty can only be realized through individual responsibility and this begins (succeeds) or ends (fails) at the local level.”

John McDonough

McDonough, 44, was 28-years-old when he upset incumbent Doug Fisher to claim the job of county prosecutor in August 2008. McDonough then held the post for 12 years before falling to Marvin in a bid for a fourth, four-year term in August 2020.

A lifelong St. Joseph County resident, McDonough graduated from Three Rivers High School in 1998, University of Michigan in 2002 and Cooley Law School in 2005.

McDonough cited a number of factors that prompted him to seek a potential return to the prosecutor’s office.

“Serving my community is something extremely important to me,” he said. “Growing up with a mother who inspired so many children as a teacher for over 30 years in the Three Rivers Community Schools and a father who served two terms as mayor of Three Rivers, supervisor of Fabius Township and was a member of many boards and committees at the local, state and federal levels, ingrained into me the value and importance of giving back to the community.”

McDonough continues to practice law and is currently a member of the Three Rivers Community Schools Board of Education.

Looking back on his time as prosecutor, McDonough said he successfully prosecuted what he called some of the most difficult and most publicized cases the county has ever seen.

“I convicted dozens of sexual predators, was one of the leaders in starting the county’s sobriety court, its adult drug-treatment court and Swift and Sure program,” the Three Rivers resident said.

On that note, McDonough said his plans as prosecutor center on: continuing to be innovative in the way the community treats those with addictions and those with mental health issues; protecting those who are most vulnerable, victims of child-sexual abuse, child abuse, elder abuse and cruelty to animals; and making the prosecutor’s office as open and accessible to the public as possible by restoring the open-door policy “that was in place when I led the office.”

Finally, McDonough acknowledged his highly publicized operating a motor vehicle while visibly impaired charge stemming from a May 2020, single-car crash in Lockport Township . The incident has been cited as a critical factor in McDonough losing the primary election to Marvin three months later.

“The last four years have been a time to humbly take a look at my life and make changes so that the terrible mistake I made doesn’t happen again. I’ve realized that being our county prosecutor was the best job in the world and it is something I took for granted,” he said. “I have made many mistakes – some big and some small – and have learned from each of them.”

This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Three candidates facing off for county prosecutor Aug. 6