Commissioners appoint county attorney

Sanders County has a new County Attorney and Public Administrator.

Sanders County Commissioners voted unanimously last week to appoint Megan Hansen to the position of County Attorney, which was open after Naomi Leisz resigned in July after she was charged with felony insurance fraud.

Hansen will start her position next week and is excited to get started. She grew up in the Missoula area and her husband in the Bitterroot Valley, and her family has property in Trout Creek, so she has been visiting the area for many years. She said that their plan was to retire one day to Sanders County, but they get a jump start with the new job opportunity.

Hansen has been working for Sanders County on a contract basis since Leisz vacated the County Attorney position. Hansen was one of four attorneys to interview for the position. She has plans to run for election when the appointed position expires in 2024.

"We were fortunate to have multiple applicants," Commissioner Tony Cox stated last week when the commissioners met to appoint a new county attorney. Cox said Hansen was articulate, knowledgeable and well rounded. "The people of Sanders County deserve someone who is going to work hard, prosecute and make us proud." Commissioner John Holland agreed and said Hansen had the best interview. Dan Guzynski with the state Attorney General's office has been working with the county in the transition and noted that Hansen has been working with rural counties for 15 years. "I'm excited to see what she can do and bring and I'm pleased that she wants to be a part of the community," Guzynski said after the commissioners voted to appoint Hansen.

While Hansen has experience with criminal and civil cases, she stressed that it's important to also be an advocate for victims and to connect with them early to help them access resources. She also expressed how important the relationship is between the county attorney's office and other agencies. "You have to have a good relationship with other agencies and work with law enforcement," she stated. "That is a vital relationship."

Hansen said prosecution is important because people need to know there are consequences for their actions. "Not every case is black and white, which is why we have prosecutorial discretion. However, the people elect the legislature and the legislature creates the laws and associated penalties in a certain way for a reason. Especially when the offenses are stackable, unless there is a problem with the evidence, we should generally be prosecuting," she explained.

Having been in the Sanders County office over the last two months, she described the County Attorney staff as resilient and positive and said she looks forward to working with them.

"You need to find the joy to keep going," Hansen said. "This job comes with a lot of pressure and there are a lot of people depending on you, but it's really rewarding." She said she likes helping victims and helping them get the resources they need.

She graduated from the University of Montana Law School in 2017. While working for a civil firm in Liberty County, she also worked part-time as a victim advocate in Chester. Her first prosecutor position was with the Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Attorney's office, followed by a position in the Missoula County Attorney's office. Hansen most recently focused on insurance law at a private practice in Missoula.

Growing up in Lolo, Hansen is excited to get back to a small town. "There's a strong sense of community here," she explained of Sanders County.