MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – The 25th Circuit Court announced on Tuesday that Ms. Jenna M. Nelson has been appointed to serve as Marquette County’s next Prosecuting Attorney. Nelson currently serves as the county’s Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney.
The Prosecuting Attorney is the Chief Law Enforcement Officer for Marquette County, and is responsible for seeking justice by prosecuting violations of Michigan laws.
Nelson graduated from Negaunee High School in 2002, and earned a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Northern Michigan University in 2006. She was awarded her Juris Doctor from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2012. She also served as the Associate Editor of the Thomas M. Cooley Law Review and the Thomas M. Cooley Journal of Practical and Clinical Law.
She has worked as an attorney in private practice in Michigan’s lower peninsula from 2012 until 2016, when she joined the Marquette County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney.
According to a press release from the Circuit Court, she quickly established herself as an aggressive yet fair prosecutor, and earned the respect of judges and opposing counsel. She has been entrusted with handling some of the most serious cases, including sexual assault against adults and children. She was promoted to Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in 2022.
In a statement from the press release, Nelson said, “I am very honored to be entrusted with this appointment. The Prosecutor’s Office works very hard to ensure that the citizens of Marquette County have faith in our process, and I look forward to continuing that relationship with the community.”
Nelson will assume office on November 27, 2023, upon the resignation of current Prosecuting Attorney Matt Weise, who was recently appointed as a judge of the circuit court. She will be the first woman to serve as Prosecuting Attorney in the history of Marquette County.
