HELENA – The new U.S. attorney for Montana said his first week on the job has been marked with a steep learning curve and a whirlwind of briefings across the state.
Mike Cotter was sworn in last week as the replacement for Bill Mercer, who served in the post for almost nine years. The U.S. attorney is the supervising prosecutor for all federal crimes committed in Montana, including the seven American Indian reservations.
Cotter said he’ll focus on goals set up by the Obama administration and will also continue some of Mercer’s efforts to reach out to local law enforcement agencies in prosecuting violent crimes, especially those involving felons possessing weapons, and drug trafficking.
“The other area is crimes against children, and we’ll continue to focus on protecting them, whether that’s on the Internet or physical,” Cotter said.
Cotter, 60, oversees a staff of about two dozen assistant U.S. attorneys and will travel regularly to Missoula, Butte, Great Falls and Billings but plans to continue to live in Helena. He is married to Montana Supreme Court Justice Patricia Cotter.