HOUGHTON — A new prosecutor has been appointed in Houghton County.

Dan Helmer was named to the post by 12th Circuit Court Judge Brittany Bulleit. He comes to the post from Kent County, where he has been an assistant prosecutor since graduating from law school in 2011.

Helmer graduated from Thom M. Cooley Law School and received his undergraduate degree from James Madison College at Michigan State University. He grew up in Marquette and is a 2000 graduate of Marquette Senior High School.

“I am thankful for the trust that Judge Bulleit has put in me and I am excited to return home,” Helmer said in a press release announcing the appointment. “It’s going to be a new challenge, but one I welcome.”

Helmer will become the county’s third prosecutor this year. Bulleit, first appointed prosecutor in 2019, had been elected to a four-year term in 2020. In May, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed her to succeed Charles Goodman, who retired from his position as 12th Circuit Court judge.

She was replaced in July by Paul LaBine, a local attorney who was also serving as mayor of Hancock at the time of his appointment. He resigned as prosecutor in August, citing issues with understaffing in the department and noncompetitive salaries being offered to candidates for the positions.

Since Sept. 1, when LaBine’s resignation took effect, members of the state attorney general’s office have handled prosecution of larger cases, while smaller cases were delayed.

At Bulleit’s request, the Houghton County board tabled an item in October increasing the salaries for the prosecutor and chief assistant prosecutor position. She said the issue should wait until a new prosecutor could take office.

In the release, Helmer said his immediate priority will be filling the two assistant prosecutor positions, which he called vital to keeping the county safe.

“Filling those spots will be a community effort — so I’m asking for your help,” he said. “There are lawyers out there — assistant prosecutors in other counties, maybe even other states — who grew up here and left because there weren’t any positions in the U.P. Reach out to them, get their name to me, it’s time to come home. If I just described someone you know, or even you, let’s talk.”

Helmer officially starts Dec. 4. He is filling the remainder of Bulleit’s term, which ends in 2024. The position will be on the ballot in that year’s general election.