Brown lecture series continues

The Russ Brown Lecture Series, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Kootenai County Courthouse, continues with its fifth presentation slated for Tuesday, June 23, at 5:30 p.m. in Courtroom 1, upstairs, at the historic courthouse. 

This month's presenters will be retired Judge Barry McHugh; Trial Court Administrator Lisa Chesebro; Angela Reynolds, Treatment Court Program Manager; Dave Boyer, First District Court Bailiff, all from the Coeur d'Alene area; and Jake Decker, First Judicial District Court Assistant Officer, from Sandpoint. 

This month, the presentations continue the shift in focus to the First Judicial District and its ongoing function. They will include discussions of the day-to-day operations of our court system. The lecture intends to provide the public with a 'how and why' summary of court system functions through the eyes of the people who manage the processes at play. 

"If one is curious about how our court system operates, this is a must-attend presentation," a press release said.

McHugh was born and raised in Coeur d’Alene. After receiving a degree in accounting from Boise State University, he attended and graduated from the University of Idaho College of Law.

His legal career includes work as a prosecuting attorney at the city of Coeur d’Alene,
Kootenai County, the Office of the Attorney General and the United States Attorney’s Office.

During his time with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, McHugh moved back to Coeur d’Alene to open the office’s first branch office in 1996. In 2002, McHugh joined a local law firm, where he was involved in civil litigation and criminal defense. After eight years in private practice, he was elected to be Kootenai County’s Prosecuting Attorney. He continued in that position until September 2022.

McHugh was sworn in as a district judge in January 2023. He assumed duties as the
Administrative District Judge for the 1st District in January 2025. The 1st District includes Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai, Shoshone and Benewah counties.

Lisa Chesebro is the trial court administrator for Idaho’s First Judicial District. Prior to assuming this role, she worked as a deputy prosecutor for the city of Post Falls, as a Kootenai County deputy public defender and, most recently, in a private practice in Wallace. She is a graduate of the University of Idaho College of Law and lives in the Silver Valley. In her current role, Lisa works closely with judges, court staff, attorneys and community partners to support court operations, improve access to justice, and ensure the efficient administration of Idaho’s court system.

Angela Reynolds is the treatment court program manager for the First Judicial District in Kootenai County. She joined the District in 2021 as the drug court coordinator after many years providing clinical services for Idaho’s Mental Health, DUI, and Drug Court programs.

Reynolds’s commitment to this work began early. She started her career in 1990, providing substance abuse treatment in an adolescent psychiatric facility, and spent nearly a decade as a homeless street-outreach worker supporting unhoused youth involved in gangs, exploitation, and crime. These experiences strengthened her commitment to advocacy for vulnerable populations and set her on a path into the addiction treatment field.

Beginning her career with the District Court in July 2011, Kally Young joined the organization in the Records Department. Her dedication, adaptability and strong work ethic quickly opened doors to new opportunities. She advanced to the Criminal Department as the First Appearance Clerk and soon after was selected to serve as a resident float clerk in the historic courthouse.

Her leadership and reliability led to her appointment as Judge Watson’s clerk, a role she held until his retirement. She then continued her judicial support work as Judicial Assistant to Judge Combo. In January 2019, her career shifted into court administration when she became the Court Services Manager. Building on that foundation, she was promoted to Court Services Director in June 2023, a position she continues to hold with pride.

Dave Boyer is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who has served as a bailiff for the 1st District Court since 1997. With nearly three decades of public safety experience, he also serves as the department rangemaster, District Court evidence custodian and the county first aid/CPR trainer.

Jake Decker, First Judicial District assistance officer, was born and raised in Pennsylvania and spent 15 years honing his career skills in the Philadelphia non-profit sector, allocating government-subsidized grants for low-income families in need of childcare. He moved out west in 2018, spending five years in Arizona before moving to North Idaho in 2023. He resides in Sandpoint with his 12-year-old pit mix, Junebug, and spends his free time enjoying the outdoors in this beautiful state.

    McHugh