Jacobs appointed Gogebic County Prosecutor

By TOM STANKARD

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Bessemer - Gogebic County Circuit Court Judge Roy Gotham appointed Nicholas Jacobs as prosecuting attorney Tuesday, replacing Richard Adams.

Adams retired earlier this month.

Jacobs will serve the remainder of the term, or another year.

Jacobs said Adams did a "very good job" in office and stood his ground when it was necessary.

"He maintained the respect of the law enforcement community, which can sometimes be a challenge," he said.

Jacobs is a native to the area. After graduating from Luther L. Wright High School, he went to Gogebic Community College. He said the professors at GCC were a "really big influence" on him. "Especially my political science professors and my history ones," he said. "Those guys really instilled a lot in me. I can't say enough about GCC and what they did for my career."

From there, Jacobs attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, majoring in political science.

Then he went on to law school at Thomas Cooley Law School in Lansing, now Western Michigan Cooley Law School.

While in school at Thomas Cooley, he was an intern for former State Sen. Joseph Mack and served on the auxiliary police force.

In 1979, Jacobs graduated from law school and moved back to Ironwood to work for his father's business, now the law firm Jacobs, McDonald and Silc.

"My father was one of the founding partners of the firm at the time," he said.

While working at his father's firm, Jacobs practiced general law, doing "a little bit of everything - soup to nuts."

Then in 1983, Jacobs said there was a vacancy in the prosecutor's office and he applied for the job and was appointed. He continued to serve as Gogebic County's prosecutor for 10 years. Then, he went back to the firm.

Sitting in his dad's former office, Jacobs said being a prosecutor at that time was different than it is now. Gogebic County had a bigger population and different "breed" of criminals.

"The biggest difference I've observed, looking at then and now, is the volume of the drug-type cases," he said. "(Also) there were domestic violence cases back then, but even more so now."

Back then, when Jacobs was a prosecutor, he said he didn't have an assistant. "I did it all. It was quite busy," he said. "I tried to get them to fund an assistant prosecutor, but they wouldn't do it."

After Adams retired. Jacobs said he "submitted his letter to the judge," and Gotham appointed him.

Working in his hometown, Jacobs said he's comfortable here. He is married to a local "gal" from Bessemer and has two grown daughters. He said his mom is from Ashland and his dad's from Iron Mountain.

"It's a good place to raise a family and it's a community I like," he said.

Jacobs said he missed the challenge and excitement of being a county prosecutor.

On Tuesday, he said he met with the prosecutor's staff and Tracie Wittla, assistant prosecuting attorney.

"I'm looking forward to working with her," he said. "It's my intention that she stays on as the assistant prosecutor. (They're a) good bunch of people and they seem to be on top of their game."

It's like a "homecoming" for him. "That courthouse and the people that work there are family," he said.

He's looking forward to working with local law enforcement, too.

"We've got terrific law enforcement agencies here, between Ironwood Public Safety and the Gogebic County Sheriff's Department, the Michigan State Police Wakefield Post and the officers in Watersmeet," he said.

Looking at family pictures in his office at the firm, Jacobs said he is "elated" that Gotham appointed him as prosecutor.

"I'm thankful that he did it," he said. "It's my plan to not only live up to his expectations, but also for the community."

Since he's moving to a new job, Jacobs said he will notify the firm's clients of the transition and they can elect to have another member of the firm take his place, or they will assist in transitioning to another attorney of their choice.

"I can't continue to make representation in my private cases any longer," he said.

By definition, Jacobs said being a prosecutor means he's the chief law enforcement officer of the county.

"The name of the game is to see that justice is done," he said. "People have their own definition of what is justice. If you look it up in the dictionary, it will tell you it's, 'every person receives their due,'"

Jacobs said he's the "new kid on the block.

"I can't walk in there on Monday, slam down my briefcase and have an agenda," he said. "I'm going to take in my surroundings and reacquaint myself with law enforcement and the assistant prosecutor."

Ultimately, Jacobs said his goal is to make and keep Gogebic County and the community safe and happy.

"There's a lot of things law enforcement can do to keep this an attractive place to live," he said.

Outside the law office, Jacobs is an "outdoors person." He likes to ski, is an avid wind bicycle rider, fishes, hunts and windsurfs.