Emily Hynek appointed Jackson County district attorney

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Emily Hynek has been appointed the Jackson County district attorney.

She’s been serving as the assistant district attorney in Jackson County since 2018 and was previously an assistant district attorney in La Crosse County for six years. She prosecutes cases involving sensitive crimes, including sexual assault and domestic violence, as well as controlled substances and financial crimes. She is also the treatment court prosecutor, and she previously worked with the drug court in La Crosse County.

Hynek replaces Daniel S. Diehn, who resigned as the county’s district attorney. She’ll serve the remainder of his term that ends January 2025.

In a statement on Thursday announcing her appointment, Gov. Tony Evers described Hynek as a skilled prosecutor who cares deeply about justice and fairness for the people of Jackson County. He said he’s confident she’ll be an excellent district attorney with her dedication and empathy.

Hynek said she was honored to accept the appointment and felt humbled to follow in the footsteps of prosecutors like the late Gerald Fox, who served as Jackson County district attorney from 2006 to his unexpected death in 2017. Hynek is looking forward to continuing to build relationships across the county and working with community stakeholders to achieve common goals for the justice system.

Colleagues called Hynek an excellent choice to serve as the county’s district attorney. Diehn said she’s a hard-working, dedicated and experienced prosecutor who has demonstrated a thoughtful, fair and firm approach to her cases.

Ray Ransom, chairman of the Jackson County Board of Supervisors, said he saw “amazing growth” in Hynek as she served Jackson County as a special prosecutor in 2018 and then was hired as an assistant district attorney less than 60 days later. He predicted that she’ll be a great leader for the county.

Hynek is a graduate of the UW-Eau Claire and UW Law School. Follow @WLJReporter