WALLACE — The Shoshone County Courthouse boardroom had exciting energy on Monday as family, friends and coworkers of Benjamin Allen came in to show support, as he was officially sworn in as the Shoshone County Prosecuting Attorney.

“While the amount of work that lies ahead in filling the shoes that Judge Oxendine has left, and getting our office back to full staff will be no small endeavor, I am honored to have received the appointment to step into this role and lead our county moving forward,” Allen said.

Allen has worked for Shoshone County courthouse as Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the last three years and has most recently been working as interim Prosecuting Attorney, after Keisha Oxendine was appointed to the position of Magistrate Judge for Idaho’s First Judicial Court last month.

Growing up in rural Idaho, Allen believes that he has an understanding of the difficulties that smaller communities face and how burdensome it can be to obtain professional services. Allen received his criminal justice degree from Boise State University, and later attended Gonzaga University where he obtained a Doctor of Law degree.

He knows that taking on this position, and filling the shoes of Oxendine will not be easy work.

“During the time my family has been in Shoshone County, we have quickly come to appreciate the personal relationships and sense of community that bonds this county together. As the Prosecuting Attorney, I understand the integral part that our office plays in safeguarding the freedoms that we enjoy as citizens while protecting our communities and keeping them safe.”

His prosecution team will have the combination of veteran support staff and new faces that are local to the Valley. Legal Assistant Kylie Robinson and attorney Brittney Jacobs both recently returned after getting their respective college degrees.

“I believe we have a great blend of wisdom and youth to ensure the long-term success of our office,” Allen said.

Chairman of the BOCC Mike Fitzgerald, as well as Commissioners Jay Huber and John Hansen were unanimous in their motion to appoint Allen.

“We have a wonderful guy here. I knew that we had a wonderful guy when we hired him a couple years ago,” Huber said as he shook Allen’s hand.

After Allen was sworn in, a round of applause erupted and proud smiles could be seen throughout the board room.

The Shoshone County Democratic Central Committee also met before the appointment and made recommendations to the BOCC to fill the vacancy. They were quite emphatic in their recommendation of Allen.

“The support I received from the Democratic Central Committee through this process was truly humbling and serves as a beacon of hope for local politics,” Allen said. “This process should be an example which I would call on all local political committees to follow. At the end of the day, we should strive to place the best, most qualified, candidates into office to represent our communities and uphold justice within our political system.”