Today Mark A. Totten was sworn in as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan. President Biden nominated Totten on November 12, 2021, and the U.S. Senate confirmed him on April 27, 2022.
Chief U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker administered the oath of office this morning at the federal courthouse in Grand Rapids.
“I am honored to serve as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan,” Totten said. “This office has a long history of securing justice and protecting the people of Michigan with diligence and integrity. I look forward to leading this outstanding team of dedicated attorneys and support staff and working with other partners at this important moment.”
Totten was born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he lives today. Most recently, he served as Chief Legal Counsel in the Executive Office of the Governor for the State of Michigan. Prior to entering government service, Totten was a law professor at Michigan State University from 2008-2018, where he taught criminal law and criminal procedure.
From 2011-2013 he served part-time as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney handling criminal appeals in the office he now leads. He was a judicial law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and began his career as an attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Appellate Staff, in Washington, D.C. Totten received his B.A. from Cedarville College and his law degree and a Ph.D. in ethics from Yale University.
The U.S. Attorney is the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Western District of Michigan.
The District covers 49 counties, including the western half of Michigan’s lower peninsula and the whole of the Upper Peninsula. The main office is in Grand Rapids, but the District also has staffed offices in Lansing and Marquette, and an unstaffed office in Kalamazoo.
As U.S. Attorney, Totten will oversee a staff of 42 attorneys and 44 support staff. A formal investiture ceremony will follow at a future date.
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