County commissioners conducted a public interview of a candidate identified as Edward for the interim prosecuting attorney role. The board said it will gather references and may interview additional candidates before making a decision; commissioners said the process could take at least a couple of weeks and that the county is operating on a roughly 60-day statutory clock for filling an acting prosecutor position.

Edward described his background during the interview: he said he served five years in the U.S. Marine Corps (reaching the rank of sergeant), earned an undergraduate degree and then attended Gonzaga University School of Law. He said he worked in prosecutor’s offices during and after law school, served as a deputy prosecutor in several eastern Washington counties, and has both criminal and civil experience advising local governments. He said he currently maintains a Washington law license and has had recent cases in Columbia County Superior Court.

On conflicts, Edward said he currently has three Superior Court matters that create a conflict if he became interim prosecutor. He said his likely approach would be to move to withdraw from those private matters so another county prosecutor could take the cases. "If I was made the interim prosecutor, I would have a conflict because, obviously, I represented those people," he said during the interview.

Edward described office management experience (budget and personnel oversight in prior roles and in the Marine Corps) and said he would prioritize reopening the office for constituents and being available to elected officials and victims. He described professional practices for staying current on legal developments, noting use of court-listservs and the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (WAPA) resources and said he relies on RCW duties of the prosecutor when making charging or dismissal decisions.

Commissioners asked about references and said they expect at least a couple of weeks before a decision; they requested a reference list Edward agreed to provide. The board recessed into executive session for personnel and held the public interview as part of that process; no appointment was made at the meeting. Commissioners also discussed the process if the board cannot appoint a candidate (the matter may be turned over to the governor if the board does not make an appointment from a submitted list of nominees).