Boise, ID
High 57 | Low 35
Currently: 58°
Tue
54|35
Wed
52|34
Thu
48|28

Longtime Canyon County Prosecutor Dave Young leaves office Friday

By Kristin Rodine - krodine@idahostatesman.com

Published: 01/08/09


Bookmark and Share
Share on Twitter Share on Facebook
print story email story to a friend
Comments (0) |

Dave Young’s courthouse office looked cavernous and lonely this week, with walls stripped down and bookshelves emptied.

He’d spent much of the past weekend packing up the books and belongings that have piled up during four terms as Canyon County’s prosecutor, and he gestured around him with a weary smile.

“It’s amazing how much crap you can accumulate in 16 years,” said Young, 56. A lot of setbacks have accumulated, too, and this past year has been particularly rough.

In May, his plans for a fifth and final term were quashed when he came in a distant third in a three-man GOP primary, claiming less than 14 percent of the vote. Winner John Bujak drew nearly half of the vote and was unopposed in November to take Young’s job.

“It hurt at first,” he said. “It still does.”

In October, the elder of Young’s two sons was sent to prison for having sexually exploitive images of teenage girls on a county-owned computer, capping more than two years of investigation and legal wrangling. Young says his position as the county’s top law enforcement officer worked against his son, a 32-year-old former county computer manager with a previously clean record.

“Marc is in prison because he’s my son,” Young said. “I’m convinced if we were just the average family he would’ve gotten probation.”

But the prosecutor stays mainly upbeat as talks about leaving office — his last day is Friday — saying, “the good far outweighs the bad. It’s not even close.”

“It wasn’t fun going through all that, but maybe it’s a blessing in disguise,” he said, adding that the tribulation brought his family closer together and reinforced his faith.

“It wasn’t my choice to go, but I’m not leaving with my tail between my legs,” Young said. “I’m proud of what we’ve done.”

Read more in Friday's Idaho Statesman.

OPTIONS: Most Read Stories  |  Story Comments  |  Email story  |  Print story
hide comments

Story Comments
We welcome comments but ask that you remain on topic. Some comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. Comments that are profane, personal attacks or otherwise inappropriate or are off topic are subject to removal. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Do not flag comments merely because you disagree with the comment.

more about comments here.
Local Deals
Idaho Statesman Top Jobs »
Find a Job
Keywords:
 Location: