| Field | Detail | Source |
|---|
| Full Name | Michael K. Dorcy | T1 |
| Residence | Mason County, Washington. A Shelton native and Shelton High School graduate (1993). | T3 |
| Party | Republican | T1 |
| Education | Shelton High School, 1993; B.A. in English Literature, Westmont College, 1997; Juris Doctor, Willamette University College of Law, 2001 | T3 |
| Employment | Associate, Settle & Johnson, PLLC (2000-2003); Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, Mason County Prosecutor's Office (2004-2010); Mason County Prosecuting Attorney (January 2011, present). First elected 2010, took office January 2011. Serving his fourth term as of 2026. | T3 |
1 Election History
| Year | Race | Result |
|---|
| 2010 | Mason County Prosecuting Attorney | Won. First elected; took office January 2011. |
| 2022 | Mason County Prosecuting Attorney | Won. 20,074 votes (95.29%) vs 992 write-in votes (4.71%), total 21,066. Effectively unopposed. |
| 2026 | Mason County Prosecuting Attorney | Pending. Filed for reelection 5/5/2026. Sole candidate on the SOS roster as of 2026-07-03. |
2 Political Positions
| Topic | Position | Source |
|---|
| Public Defense Caseload Standards | Following new Washington Supreme Court public defender caseload standards, Dorcy said his office will need to triage and narrow the range of cases it can pursue. He framed the standards and their effect on charging capacity as a resource constraint the office must manage. | T2 |
| Prosecution Philosophy | Dorcy describes his approach as firm, fair, and consistent leadership focused on ensuring the rule of law serves every resident of Mason County. | T3 |
3 Campaign Finance (PDC T1 Data)
4 Notable Public Statements
“The burden of proof cannot be met to sustain criminal assault charges beyond all reasonable doubt in court.”
Explaining his November 2017 decision not to file charges against two Shelton police officers in the beating of a homeless man (2017)
“The change in conditions was ordered over the objection of the Prosecutor's Office.”
Responding to family criticism after a court reduced bail for a murder defendant against his office's position (2025)
5 Vulnerability Assessment
1 sourced findings. All sourced at T1 (Official Record) or T2 (Multi-Source Media) per clearthemud provenance model. No T3/T4 claims included.
Finding 5.1: Declined to charge Shelton officers in 2017 use-of-force case despite an outside investigation recommending assault charges MODERATE
- What happened
- In May 2017, two Shelton police officers struck, pepper-sprayed, and used a stun gun on Nicholas Heflin, a homeless man who had been sleeping behind a shelter, leaving him with a broken nose and facial fractures. The Thurston County Sheriff's Office, brought in as an outside investigator, concluded the force "was not necessary or reasonable" and recommended second-degree assault charges. On November 13, 2017, Mason County Prosecutor Michael Dorcy declined to file charges, writing that "the burden of proof cannot be met to sustain criminal assault charges beyond all reasonable doubt in court." The two officers, Justin Doherty and Matt Dickinson, were separately fired by the department after an internal investigation.
- Source tier
- T2
- Political impact
- Moderate
- Defense
- Dorcy referred the investigative record to an outside use-of-force expert before deciding, and he based the declination on the criminal standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, which is higher than the administrative standard the department used to terminate the officers. The officers faced professional consequences through firing, and the city faced potential civil liability, avenues that are separate from criminal prosecution. Charging decisions in use-of-force cases turn on provable criminal intent.
- https://komonews.com/news/local/no-charges-filed-against-shelton-cops-fired-for-beating-up-homeless-man
- https://www.chronline.com/stories/two-shelton-officers-fired-wont-face-criminal-charges-after-beating-homeless-man,21778
- https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/prosecutor-declines-charges-against-former-shelton-officers-in-beating-of-homeless-man/647348105/
- https://www.ifiberone.com/south_sound/news/local_news/mason-prosecuting-attorney-refers-records-in-shelton-police-beating-case/article_ebf1d220-98d0-11e7-8dd6-f7bc26f1eff3.html
6 Source Verification
- Data Sources
- WA SOS, WA PDC, local media, public records
- Collection Date
- 2026-07-04
- Highest Tier
- T1 (Official Record)
- Methodology
- OSINT deep-dive using exclusively public-record sources. All findings at T1 or T2. No T3/T4 claims included.