'Focused on justice': Prosecutor Myrene Koch prepares for third run in Allegan

ALLEGAN COUNTY — Allegan County Prosecuting Attorney Myrene Koch is looking to defend her office for the third time since being appointed in 2018.

The incumbent Republican has filed for re-election, and will face challenger Mike Villar yet again in August.

Koch has worked in the prosecutor’s office for more than two decades. She was an assistant prosecutor, then chief assistant prosecutor before being appointed prosecutor in 2018. She was elected to a partial term later that year, defeating Villar, then narrowly earned re-election in 2020, beating Villar by less than 20 votes.

Koch said she became a prosecutor “to serve my community and to give victims a voice when they didn’t have one.” She’s running for re-election to continue that vision.

“I want to continue serving my county and its citizens, but I also want to continue helping those victims that I’ve helped for over 22 years in Allegan County,” she told The Sentinel. “I am singularly focused on justice for victims and for the people of Allegan County.”

Koch said the county has seen an increase in serious crime during her tenure, but highlighted success in prosecuting crimes like homicides, child sexually abuse material and criminal sexual conduct.

Since the 2020 election, Koch said her department had a 100% conviction rate on seven homicide cases and a 100% conviction rate in cases involving child pornography, and a "very high" rate of conviction on criminal sexual conduct.

The prosecutor also highlighted the use of specialty courts, like the sobriety treatment court, mental health court and veteran’s court, to help defendants receive treatment.

“One of the most important things we’ve done is to participate in specialty courts,” Koch said. “Not only do I want to help (victims), but I want to help those defendants who just need a little help to get out of the circumstances they’re in, whether it’s an addiction or something like that, and these programs can help do that.”

Expanding those specialty court options is one goal Koch has for her next term, should she be re-elected. She mentioned a diversion program in Kent County related to juveniles sending explicit images of themselves.

Koch defended allegations by Villar that her department’s budget has grown to an unnecessary figure. She said 96% of the department’s budget is spent on personnel and claimed counties of similar or smaller populations have higher budgets for their prosecutor’s office.

“This isn’t something I can simply increase because I want to, it’s increased because of the need,” Koch said. “Unfortunately, along with the benefits of being a county that’s increased in population … we also see an increase in crime. We have to handle that and deal with it. I think the reasons for the budget increase are valid.”

The budget process, she said, starts with her office requesting a figure, that figure being approved by the county administrator, then approval by the Allegan County Board of Commissioners.

One of those commissioners is Board Chair Jim Storey, who is directly involved in Koch’s campaign. The prosecutor downplayed the potential for conflict of interest.

“Jim is one of several community leaders involved in helping me with my campaign,” Koch said. “That’s never been a secret, that community leaders have assisted, it’s never been something we’ve shied away from.

“I don’t think it is (a conflict of interest), because it’s not his sole decision. There are other members of that board. Like I mentioned earlier with regard to the budget process, it has to pass the county administrator first before it ever gets to the board of commissioners, so there’s checks and balances in place.”

In regards to allegations from Villar that her department is over charging, Koch said her office has turned away a higher percentage of warrant requests than previous prosecutors — 15.27% compared to 13.63% in 2015. She said charges are requested by law enforcement, approved by her office, then confirmed by a judge or magistrate, not simply issued from her department.

“We are authorizing what is appropriate. The judges and magistrates are signing off on what is appropriate. Unfortunately, we’ve just seen an increase in crime,” Koch said.

While acknowledging jury trials were elevated in 2023, Koch said they still represent a small number of total cases. She said the 58 cases that went to trial were out of more than 2,600. Since she’s taken office, Koch said, less than 3% of cases have gone to trial.

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August will be the third time Koch and Villar have faced off at the polls. In 2018, Koch defeated Villar by 788 vote. After the super-close 2020 election, the 19-vote win for Koch was upheld in a recount.

During the last campaign, Villar leveled allegations that Koch and Allegan County Circuit Court Judge Margaret Zuzich Bakker engaged in improper email communications during a 2019 criminal trial. He filed complaints with the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission and the Attorney Grievance Commission.

In a letter dated March 31, 2022, the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission informed Villar the complaint against Koch had been dismissed, but said — if the Michigan Supreme Court rules Koch "acted improperly in her communications" with Bakker — the grievance could be reinstated.

— Contract reporter Mitchell Boatman at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: 'Focused on justice': Prosecutor Myrene Koch prepares for third run in Allegan