BATTLE GROUND — Battle Ground City Manager Jeff Swanson has selected Christine Hayes to serve as the City of Battle Ground’s City/Prosecuting Attorney. The selection was made after a competitive recruitment process for the city’s first in-house attorney. Her work with the city and the court began this week.
Prior to the appointment of Ms. Hayes, the city did not have full time city/prosecuting attorney representation, but contracted with two separate law firms to provide services. Having a full-time in-house attorney provides consistency and cost savings to the city.
“Ms. Hayes’ education and experience has prepared her well to serve as the city’s municipal attorney as well as the prosecuting attorney for Battle Ground Municipal Court,” said City Manager Jeff Swanson, “She has already proven to be a great asset to the city and to our management team.”
Hayes graduated Magna Cum Laude from both Western Washington University with a B.A degree in Sociology and from the Gonzaga University School of Law. She was admitted to the Washington State Bar Association in 2012.
Hayes’ professional career includes work for the City of Spokane Valley’s office of the City Attorney where she performed civil work for the municipality. From 2013 to 2016 she worked for Wheeler Montgomery Sleight & Boyd, the law firm that contracted with the city to provide prosecuting attorney services for the Battle Ground Municipal Court. Ms. Hayes’ duties with the firm included prosecuting attorney work for the Battle Ground court. Most recently, she worked at the Vancouver law office of McKinley Irvin where her primary focus was domestic law.
The City of Battle Ground serves a population of just over 20,000 and operates under the Council-Manager Plan of Government. The Battle Ground Municipal Court serves the cities of Battle Ground, La Center, and Ridgefield and sees approximately 900 criminal misdemeanor cases filed annually.
Information provided by City of Battle Ground.
