(La Porte County, IN) - The new attorney for La Porte County government is coming in with an eye on toning down the ongoing political turmoil. Scott Pejic said he was approached about filling the seat and chose to be considered for the job.

 

The veteran criminal defense attorney, with offices in Michigan City, said he was not jockeying to fill the seat and doesn’t have a burning desire to stay in it long term. Rather, Pejic said he simply felt a need to help get things back on the right track.

 

“This community has been nothing but good to me. Nothing but good to me.   I’ve been very blessed.  I have a good practice, loyal clients and if this is the way I can give back, I want to do it,” he said.

 

Pejic is now the third county attorney since the county commissioners replaced Shaw Friedman with Andrew B. Jones at the first of the year. The seat has been at the center of a political firestorm since January of 2021 when the power structure in county government changed but Friedman was not let go as county attorney as his detractors expected.

 

Ever since, the fallout has included political leaders filing lawsuits against each other, allegations of corruption, approaching law enforcement to see if any criminal violations occurred, and generally eruptions of emotion ranging from verbal attacks and insults.

 

Pejic said he’s coming in with no political connections to any of the commissioners.

 

“I just want to get a fresh start, be helpful, be a good servant for the county and go on in life,” he said.

 

Pejic has been licensed to practice law in Indiana since 1999.

 

He said criminal defense represents about 40 percent of his workload, with 30-percent of his professional time spent in civil law cases involving personal injury.