Come January, Marc Goodman will end a lengthy career in law — and as Lyon County’s chief prosecutor.
Goodman joined KVOE’s Talk of Emporia on Friday for a discussion about his career. He says his interest in law developed at an early age and it was rooted in one concept.
Goodman studied law at Villanova University in Philadelphia before returning to Kansas, and his early career saw him make several stops: private practice in Lawrence, civil rights defense for the Kansas Department of Labor and Kansas Public Employee Retirement System and a child support enforcement attorney for Kansas Social and Rehabilitation Services — the predecessor for the Department for Children and Families. Goodman was asked to run for Lyon County Attorney in the late 1990s and lost to Rod Symmonds before winning the position in 2000.
After he was elected, Goodman oversaw Lyon County’s prosecution of a number of significant cases, including the Eastgate explosion resulting in the conviction of Wallace Dixon, the murder conviction of Robert Cordray and — more recently — the convictions of five people after the murder of Jesus Avila. He says he had reached a point where some of the fun he had earlier was diminishing and he admits getting tired, but he also says has no regrets about his career. As far as retirement…
Barring a massive write-in effort, Goodman’s longtime lead assistant, Amy Aranda, will be elected to follow Goodman as county attorney because she faces no organized opposition on the ballot. Goodman says Aranda is thorough, detail-oriented and fair, which suits her well for the role. She has also been part of the County Attorney’s staff since 2003.
