By Julie Johansen
Emery County Commissioners express heartfelt and gracious gratitude to David and McKette Allred for their years of service to Emery County during a recent commission meeting. The duo was presented plaques of appreciation as they are retiring and going to serve a LDS Mission at the Nauvoo Temple in Illinois. The tribute was read by Emery County Attorney Mike Olsen. He noted that the Allreds have given over 24 years of service to both Emery and Carbon counties. Both David and McKette received their Juris Doctorate in 1993 from University of Arkansas at Little Rock. They then returned to Emery County to practice law.
David has primarily focused on criminal defense. He has been the public defender for Emery County since 1993 and Carbon County since 1994. He has represented indigent defendants in district courts, juvenile courts, delinquency cases, justice courts, city courts, drug courts and parents in DCFS cases.
McKette has served as Emery County’s Parental Defense Public Defender and also previously served in Carbon County. She has also been the Defense Attorney for Drug Court in Emery County. She is a certified Private Guardian ad litem as an advocate for children.
She and David are both licensed foster parents and help reunite two children with their family. They also opened Meridian Mentoring, a residential treatment center for teen girls in January of 2017. Their talents and interest are many and varied. They are leaving “big shoes to fill” according to commissioners.
