The Hill County Commission this morning appointed Chief Hill County Deputy Attorney Gina Bishop to be the next Hill County Attorney and finish out the term being left by Cyndee Peterson on Sept. 14. “I’m excited,” Bishop told the Commission after they appointed her to the position. “I will work hard to make the transition go smoothly.” Peterson is leaving the position to start work in Missoula for the District of Montana U.S. Attorney’s Office. She will be prosecuting charges of child pornography and Internet exploitation of children in her new position. County Commission Chair Mike Wendland told Bishop the commissioners are confident she can continue to operate the office well once Peterson leaves. “I know it’s some big shoes to fill, but we are certain you can do the job,” he said. In an interview, Bishop said she doesn’t plan to make any major changes in the office once she takes over. “Cyndee’s done a great job and I just want to carry on what she’s done,” Bishop said. “I think this office works very efficiently and I dChology from the University of Montana in Missoula, then her law degree from UM in 2003. She worked for the Cascade County Attorney’s Office for two years before taking the deputy county attorney position in Hill County, taking the position vacated when Peterson became county attorney. Peterson started as deputy Hill County attorney in 2001, then was appointed to the Hill County Attorney position in 2003 when then-County Attorney David Rice was appointed district judge. Peterson was reelected in 2004 to finish out Rice’s term, then was re-elected in 2006. That term ends in 2010. In the summer of 2007, the Hill County Commission approved hiring a third fulltime attorney in the office to replace a part-time position vacated when attorney Stephen Gannon left the position. Gannon went to work full-time in Chouteau County, where he had also worked part-time as a deputy county attorney. Commissioner Kathy Bessette said last week the county will look for another attorney to keep the office with three full-time positions. The increasing caseload demands having that many, she said. Bishop, who also prosecuted for the Missoula County Attorney’s Office as an intern while attending the UM Law School, said she intends to run for re-election in 2010. “Absolutely,” she said.on’t plan to change it.” Bishop, a Great Falls native, received her bachelor’s degree in psy
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