HANCOCK — Hancock Mayor Paul LaBine will be stepping down from his position to fill the vacant Houghton County prosecutor position.
LaBine is expected to start as prosecutor Monday after being sworn in, the City of Hancock said in a news release. In Michigan, the judge or judges of the judicial circuit in that county appoint a prosecutor when vacancies arise.
He replaces Brittany Bulleit, who was appointed by the governor as 12th Circuit Court judge after Charles Goodman’s retirement.
Under state law, officials cannot hold two conflicting elected positions, requiring LaBine to give up his city council seat. He will resign from the council Wednesday.
Labine’s partial prosecutor term expires Jan. 1, 2025. If he wishes to continue serving, he would run for a term in the November 2024 election.
LaBine has served on the council since 2016, when he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Ward III seat. He has served as mayor since summer 2019.
In November, he was re-elected to a four-year term.
“It is very bittersweet for me to be leaving the Hancock City Council and I am proud of everything the Council, City staff and community members have accomplished,” LaBine said in the release. “However, I am honored and privileged to be offered this opportunity to continue to serve the community as Houghton County Prosecutor. I will do my absolute best to execute all duties of the position fairly and ethically.”
LaBine graduated magna cum laude from Michigan Technological University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics. He then went on to the University of Illinois-Chicago School of Law, where he graduated cum laude with a Juris doctor degree.
He’s been licensed to practice law in California since 2006, following with certification in Michigan three years later. He’s worked as a full-time math instructor at Gogebic Community College since 2014. He has also practiced law locally for many years in various areas.
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