Dayton Chronicle - Your Hometown News Source

DAYTON–The Columbia County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is one more step closer to being fully staffed again with the addition of Kent Bigler as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney this week. The last step will take place March 1 when Jennine Christensen joins to office, announced C. Dale Slack, Prosecuting Attorney.

Bigler comes on board the organization as of February 15, replacing a position previously held by Cindy Horowitz, who left the county's employ in August, 2022. He was in the office in advance of his first day to become acclimated to the routine and receive training.

He was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, attending Kerns High School followed by undergraduate work at the University of Utah and Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho. He is a 1986 graduate of the Gonzaga School of Law. While attending Gonzaga, he was the Student Bar president and associate editor of the Law Review.

He joined Walla Walla attorney Charles Phillips, serving as attorney for the City of College Place and later was hired by the Department of Social and Health Services' Division of Child Support, where he represented children in child-support cases.

After some three decades in that post, he "changed careers" and decided to work at prosecuting. "I wanted to be a prosecutor and Dale needed somebody," Bigler said. "Here I am."

Bigler resides in College Place, is married and the couple has one son and two daughters, and 13 grandchildren.

When Christensen joins the office on March 1, she will fill the position previously held by April King, who recently joined the Walla Walla County Prosecutor's Office, Slack said.