The Highlands County Attorney’s Office was established in 2015. Sherry G. Sutphen serves as the County Attorney, the general counsel for the Board of County Commissioners.
The County Attorney’s Office also includes Assistant County Attorney Katie Houlihan, Legal Assistant Maya Wiseman, Records Manager Gloria Rybinski, and Records Clerk Brenda Back.
The County Attorney’s Office provides legal counsel and advice to the Board of County Commissioners, the County Administrator, and County departments, as well as the Supervisor of Elections Office and certain boards and agencies organized under the Board of County Commissioners.
Legal services also include drafting and reviewing contracts, ordinances, resolutions, and legislation; handling legal aspects of real estate acquisitions and capital projects; advising county departments, municipal service benefit units, advisory boards and committees; instituting and defending civil actions at all levels of State and Federal courts; and coordinating legal services in general.
The County Attorney is not legal counsel to the general public and may not advise individual citizens.