County names new chief legal officer

By Bob Cuddy
bcuddy@thetribunenews.com

Warren R. Jensen will take over in September as the county’s chief legal officer, the Board of Supervisors has announced.

Jensen, 61, a longtime county employee, arrived in the county counsel’s office in 1986 and moved up to chief deputy county counsel in 2006 and assistant county counsel in February.

Jensen will replace Jim Lindholm, who died in January after decades of handling the county’s legal proceedings.

Wyatt Cash postponed his retirement after Lindholm died, and has been Interim County Counsel.

The county counsel advises the Board of Supervisors and department heads on all aspects of civil law.

County Administrative Officer David Edge said Jensen is both well-known and well-respected in the county, and is an easy person to get along with.

Edge said Jensen battled his way through a candidate pool of more than 30 applicants, including some other in-house candidates as well as applicants from other county counsel’s offices throughout the state.

Jensen has advised numerous county departments, including the Health Agency, Auditor, Assessor, Treasurer, Human Resources, Administrative Office and others. He has handled complex litigation, and is well versed in all matters of governmental law, according to a press release from Cash.

Jensen has led in statewide matters involving property tax-related issues. In 1999 and 2001, the County Counsel’s Association awarded him commendations for outstanding service in property tax law.

Prior to coming to the county counsel’s office, he was a partner with Stokes, Steeves, Jensen and Cissna in Arcata.

Jensen received a J. D. from Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley in 1976, and was admitted to practice with the State Bar of California that same year.

He also is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court, Northern and Central District, and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

Jensen received a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering in 1969 from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelors of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1968. From 1969 to 1972, he served in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

The appointment, effective Sept. 22, is for four years.