I was born to hardworking, blue-collar parents with wandering souls. Although I was born in New Mexico and spent some time in Nevada, I was raised for most of my childhood in the beautiful mountains of northern Idaho. After finishing high school, I received a B.A. from the University of Idaho.  At the time, I was the first in my family to earn a college education.

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After college, I had no plans of law school. I moved to Boise and started my career, first as a real estate agent and then began a successful construction business. Law school was nowhere on the horizon until an evening out with friends when I myself had a run in with the law.

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Don’t get too excited – the story isn’t juicy, but the experience was life changing. I had one (or possibly a couple) too many drinks and was walking home from a friendly neighbor pub. I was walking home with a friend and he was merrily ringing doorbells along the way. When a grumbling neighbor who had been rudely awakened from his or her peaceful slumber called the police to report a disturbance, I received a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace.

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In the grand scheme of things, the charge wasn’t terribly serious, but it did have a great impact on my life. The fines were significant and I was worried prospective clients would have concerns hiring a contractor with “a record.” This was the first time I had had an interaction with law enforcement and the first time I had given much thought to the law in general. I had made a mistake, but I did not want this lapse in judgment to have an impact on my entire future.

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The concept occurred to me that police are a double check on society, and the law is society’s double check on police. This thought of a system of checks and balances was one that I could not get out of my head. Before I knew it, I was enrolled in the Law School at the University of South Dakota.

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My first internship as a law school student was in Rapid City on the edge of the Black Hills. That summer, I became hooked on the beauty and the people of the Black Hills. Today, I make my living and give back to my community by practicing law in Sturgis, South Dakota.

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When I’m not in a suit and tie, you’ll most likely find me taking advantage of all the Black Hills have to offer to those who live here and love to visit here. I enjoy riding my motorcycle in the summer months, my snowboard in the winter months, and my mountain bike whenever I can.

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Throughout my career, I have learned that good people can make terrible mistakes. But an error in judgment, or a wrongful accusation, does not need to cause a lifetime of punishment.

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