The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Prosecutor unopposed in election
Mackie plans to focus on elder abuse issues and identity theft
By Lindy Stevens, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: July 17, 2008
With just one name on the Aug. 5 ballot for Washtenaw County prosecutor, Brian Mackie doesn't have much to worry about.
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Mackie has been county prosecutor since 1993 and, barring a successful write-in campaign, the Ann Arbor native said he has some new plans for his long-held post.
Mackie said crime-prevention efforts, including Head Start and after-school programs throughout Washtenaw County, would continue to be one of his most important priorities.
In the upcoming year, Mackie said he also hoped to focus on financial and physical elder abuse issues, as well as more sophisticated criminal activity, including identity theft and other Internet-related crimes.
A longtime resident of Washtenaw County, Mackie earned a bachelor's degree in history and political science from Eastern Michigan University and added a degree in law from Wayne State University.
After graduation, he took his first job at a free legal-aid clinic in Detroit and eventually went on to open his own practice, where he specialized in criminal defense law.
Mackie returned to the public sector in 1978 as an assistant prosecutor for Washtenaw County and has remained in the office ever since.
He lives with in northeast Ann Arbor and is the father of two children and two stepchildren. His wife runs a local nonprofit organization that is targeted toward adolescent education programs and adult eviction prevention, an interest that Mackie said helped bring the couple together.
A commitment to the Washtenaw County community has been an important priority for Mackie and his family over the years and, as prosecutor, he said those efforts would continue well into his next term.
"It's all about helping the least powerful people in the community," Mackie said. "That's one of the primary obligations of the prosecutor."
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