There’s been a changing of the guard in Greene County as a new county attorney takes over after one man has been running the show for four decades.

Thomas Laehn ran unopposed and won the election for county attorney in November. After he was sworn-in on January 2nd, he officially took over for retired county attorney Nicola Martino, who served as county attorney for 42 years. Laehn regards Martino with the utmost respect and thanks him for his guidance, having worked alongside him for 1 ½-years as the assistant county attorney. “He has served in that office admirably (and) never with any hint of professional misconduct, no accusations of wrongdoing or unethical or unprofessional behavior. He’s a man of great reputation. We really are indebted to him for his efforts to seek justice on the behalf of the people of our county.”

Laehn recounts that Martino always ran unopposed for county attorney and believes that he was the longest serving county attorney in Iowa’s history.

“He did that for 42 years with only taking a single vacation. Without an assistant county attorney, he was prevented from leaving the four corners of the county. A prosecutor operates under very strict deadlines. Sometimes these deadlines are as short as ten days from a commission of a crime before a prosecutor has to act.”

Laehn is excited to take over as county attorney and looks forward to carrying on Martino’s legacy.