Michael Dvorak | |
|---|---|
| St. Joseph County Prosecutor | |
| In office January 2003 – January 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Chris Toth |
| Succeeded by | Ken Cotter |
| Member of the Indiana House of Representatives from the 8th district | |
| In office November 1986 – November 6, 2002 | |
| Preceded by | Lloyd Taylor |
| Succeeded by | Ryan Dvorak |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 24, 1948 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Kathleen |
| Children | 8 (including Ryan) |
| Residence(s) | Granger, Indiana |
| Alma mater | Loyola University Chicago (BA) Western State College of Law (JD) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Michael A. Dvorak[1] (born October 24, 1948) is an American lawyer and politician who formerly served as an Indiana State Representative and the St. Joseph County, Indiana, prosecutor.
Early life
Dvorak was born October 24, 1948, in South Bend, Indiana.[1]
Dvorak earned a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola University Chicago in 1970.[1] He earned a Juris Doctor from Western State College of Law in 1975.[1] He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1975 and the Indiana State Bar Association in 1977.[1]
Career
Dvorak served as a deputy prosecutor in Modesto, California, from 1975 through 1977.[1][2] He worked in private legal practice from 1977 through 2002.[2] He also worked as a public defender in South Bend, Indiana, from 1977 through 1986.[1][2]
In 1984, Dvorak ran for the Democratic Party nomination for the 8th district seat in the Indiana House of Representatives, but lost a four-way primary election.[3]
State representative
In 1986, Dvorak ran again for the 8th district seat in the Indiana House of Representatives, this time succeeding in securing the Democratic Nomination. Dvorak defeated three-term Republican incumbent Lloyd Taylor in the general election.[3] His victory was considered an upset.[4]
Dvorak left office in 2002,[2] being succeeded by his son Ryan Dvorak.[5]
St. Joseph County prosecutor
Dvorak successfully ran for St. Joseph County prosecutor in 2002, defeating Republican incumbent Chris Toth.[6][7]
Dvorak was sworn-in in 2003.[2]
On December 16, 2010, Dvorak announced that he would not to file any criminal charges against Prince Shembo, who had been accused of sexual assault by Lizzy Seeberg nine days prior to her suicide.[8]
In 2015, Dvorak opted against seeking reelection. Democratic nominee Ken Cotter, a longtime staffer of Dvorak, was elected to succeed him.[9][10]
Personal life
Dvorak is a Roman Catholic.[1]
Dvorak and his wife Kathleen had eight children, Ryan, Todd, Sean, Brett, Carrie, Brady, Casey, and Tyler.[1]
For decades, Dvorak has resided in Granger, Indiana.[1][3]
In 1980, Dvorak began a decades-long involvement as a Michiana Soccer Association youth soccer coach.[1]
Dvorak has served as president of the Quail Valley Homeowners Association.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Gallegos, Alicia (31 Oct 2010). "Prosecutor candidates vie for title". Newspapers.com. The South Bend Tribune. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- 1 2 3 "Candidates". Newspapers.com. The South Bend Tribune. 30 Apr 1986.
- ↑ Wensits, James (23 Oct 1986). "Dvorak seeks upset against Taylor in District 8". Newspapers.com. The South Bend Tribune. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ↑ Coldwell, Jack (6 Nov 2002). "Younger Dvorak captures father's old seat". Newspapers.com. The South Bend Tribune.
- ↑ "NEWS SHOWS". Newspapers.com. The South Bend Tribune. 20 Oct 2002. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ↑ "Osco murders timeline". Newspapers.com. The South Bend Tribune. 10 Aug 2004.
- ↑ Hansen, Eric (2 Jan 2011). "Kelly glad for closure". Newspapers.com. The South Bend Tribune. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ↑ Buckley, Madeline (5 Nov 2014). "Prosecutor race goes to Cotter". Newspapers.com. The South Bend Tribune. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ↑ Black, Virginia (15 December 2014). "Prosecutor looks back at years in office, forward to new challenge". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved 8 June 2021.