Submitted by Nick Power

Attorney at law

Nicholas (Nick) Power announced his candidacy for the position of San Juan County Prosecuting Attorney.

Power hopes to provide voters with an opportunity to elect someone who is committed to honesty, transparency and accountability. Power sees the position of prosecuting attorney as ultimately the citizens’ attorney not simply the attorney for the county.

Originally licensed to practice law in Illinois in 1997, Power has worked on a broad variety of legal matters both in the civil and criminal arenas both in state and federal court. Currently, Power has a solo practice in Friday Harbor.

He represents and advises clients in a wide variety of civil matters including civil rights, employment, property, land-­use, whistleblower and election litigation. He has also served as counsel and advised on a broad variety of criminal matters both in state and federal courts.

As a father to a teenager, and an about-to-­be ­teenager, Power is very concerned about the epidemic of hard drugs available on the islands but is particularly concerned about those that are being dealt and consumed in our schools. That needs to change. To achieve that end, Power supports the use of therapeutic court in the appropriate circumstance, especially for juvenile offenders, and hopes to greatly increase access to mental health and addiction professionals to those who could benefit from those services. Therapeutic court is an alternative justice model with a collaborative court team. Since moving to Friday Harbor in 2008 with his wife Penelope Haskew and two daughters, Power has been troubled by what he has observed in the local law enforcement and justice system.

He wants to make San Juan County a safer, fairer and better place to live, work and be.