HOUGHTON — Houghton County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Helmer announced that after having open positions for over a year, he has hired two new Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys for the County of Houghton. Both positions will start on Feb. 5 and serve in the various courts here in Houghton County.

Helmer has appointed Hilary Baker as Chief Assistant Prosecutor. A graduate of Calvin University and Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Baker is a career prosecutor with 10 years experience, fighting for the most vulnerable victims. Baker started her career as an Assistant Prosecutor in Kent County, working under Bill Forsyth and Chris Becker, and went on to work for DJ Hilson as an APA in Muskegon County.

Baker specializes in cases involving juveniles, including abuse, neglect, and delinquency, as well as child

abuse, crimes against children, and cases involving sexual assault.

In addition to the Chief Assistant position, the Houghton County Board of Commissioners also authorized a second assistant position, which has remained unfilled since its creation in 2022. At this time, Helmer has decided to hire a third APA on a part-time/contract basis, allowing the position to be adequately compensated.

Helmer has appointed Alex Berger as Assistant Prosecutor. Berger currently manages his criminal defense firm, Berger Law, out of Marquette. Following his graduation from Indiana University, Berger was a Public Defender in the State of Wyoming before being elected Weston County Prosecutor there in 2018. Berger has extensive criminal law experience, protecting both the rights of the accused and victims of crime throughout his career.

Berger will be lead prosecutor for all matters in the 97th District Court and assist with other criminal cases.

“I am excited to have Hilary and Alex join the team here and to better serve the citizens of Houghton County. As I stated when I was sworn in, my top priority was filling these vacancies and ensuring that our community has the dedicated public servants that it deserves,” Helmer said.

“I want to thank Chairman Tikkanen and the rest of the Houghton County Board of Commissioners – as well as County Administrator Ben Larson and our wonderful Chief Financial Officer Becky Ylitalo for working with me to fill these vacancies. Both appointees are extremely qualified, respected in the legal community, and will bring years of experience that only compliment the assets we already have,” Helmer said. “I look forward to working with them both and continuing to rebuild this office and make it the best in the state.”