Snohomish County prosecutor takes a new job

Snohomish County Prosecutor Janice Ellis is stepping down next month to become prosecutor for the Tulalip Tribes.

Ellis, who was elected Snohomish County prosecutor in 2002 and again in 2006, has a year left in her term. Senior Deputy Prosecutor Mark Roe, who has already filed to run for prosecutor in 2010, is lobbying to fill the post once Ellis leaves.

The Snohomish County Council will appoint Ellis' replacement. Ellis said that her last day as county prosecutor will be Nov. 30.

State Rep. John McCoy, D-Tulalip, said Ellis' hiring will help the Tulalip Tribes improve its court system and prosecutor's office. Ellis will be the tribes' first full-time prosecutor, he said.

"I was surprised when I found out she applied for the job," said McCoy, a tribal member and general manager of the Tulalip Tribes' Quil CedaVillage shopping center. "I worked with Janice over the years in the Legislature. She's a very capable person; she listens. On occasion we agree to disagree."

Ellis, 49, said she's looking forward to creating a new agency from scratch.

"In the state court level and the federal court level the systems are very developed. In Indian country, the systems are still developing," Ellis said. "For me, the exciting part of it is I'll be joining the office when a lot of decisions will be made."

Ellis sent a letter to her staff informing them of her decision. She also sent a handwritten letter announcing her resignation to Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon on Tuesday morning, said Christopher Schwarzen, spokesman for Reardon.

In the letter to her staff, Ellis said that Snohomish County Democrats will recommend three people to the County Council as potential replacements. She said in the letter that she hopes the council will select Roe, who has been with the county prosecutor's office for 22 years.

The Snohomish County prosecutor's annual salary is $148,832.

Ellis, a Democrat, has a long history in the Snohomish County Prosecutor's Office, working as a deputy prosecutor in both the civil and criminal divisions. She defeated incumbent Jim Krider in 2002.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com