Allreds retire from public defender/family law to serve mission

By Patsy Stoddard
Editor

Long time public defender David Allred has retired and will leave soon for a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He along with his wife McKette Allred have been called to the Nauvoo Mission. They will serve for a period of six months during the busy tourist season and the Nauvoo Pageant.
Both Allreds have been lawyers in the Carbon and Emery county areas for more than 25 years.
The Allreds were honored at a recent commission meeting. Several of their family members were in attendance. They each received a plaque of appreciation from Emery County. The Allreds have been contributing members of the Emery County community as well as Carbon County for many years. McKette Hinkins Allred is an Emery County native and David M. Allred was born in Burley, Idaho. He is the son of Darwin and Dixie Allred. His family moved to Mankato, Minn. where David lived from second grade through high school. David served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from August 1985-87. He earned his bachelors degree in political science from Brigham Young University.
McKette is the daughter of Delile and Elda Hinkins. She was raised in Orangeville. She served a mission from January 1986 to August 1987 in the Italy Milan Mission. David and McKette met while attending BYU. They were married in the Manti Temple on Aug. 13, 1988. McKette earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education and taught for two years before law school. McKay was born just five months before the Allreds entered law school. They added twin girls, Megan and Meran in their second year and later McKoy and McKlane joined the family. They have five grandchildren.
McKette received her juris doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. McKette and David returned to Emery County and started their private law practice. McKette is the manager and associate in David M. Allred PC. She currently serves as the Emery County Parental Defense public defender and has held this position in Carbon County as well.
Her experience as a parental defense attorney has taught her to defend the rights of parents. She has handled hundreds of cases in juvenile court and district court and appears in both on a monthly basis for hearings and trials. She is the defense attorney for the drug court program in Emery County held two times a month. She is a certified private guardian ad litem and is an advocate for children. David and McKette are licensed foster parents and helped reunite two children back home with their parents. Their latest venture is Meridian Mentoring, a residential treatment center for teen girls which opened in Orangeville in January of 2017.
In McKette’s private practice she has done adoptions, guardianships, divorces, paternity claims, custody disputes probate matters, personal injury cases and medical malpractice claims. She enjoys helping residents of Emery and Carbon counties with their legal issues.
McKette has served as vice president of the Utah Family Law Executive Committee and on the Emery County Domestic Violence Coalition, felony drug court for Emery County, children’s justice advisory board for Emery and Carbon counties, former bar president for the seventh district private guardian ad Litem, 2009 parental Defense Attorney of the year, and 2016 pro bono attorney of the year.
McKette also served as a cub scout leader and assisted her three sons in achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, was PTA president, Miss Emery 1983-84, board member of the Miss Emery County Scholarship pageant since 1995, restaurant hostess, jewelry consultant and manager. She has served in many church positions.
David has been the Emery County public defender from 1993 and Carbon County public defender since 1994 representing indigent defendants in district courts, juvenile court delinquency cases, justice courts, city courts, drug court, and parents in DCFS cases. He is a member of the Emery County drug court team. He is a board member of the children’s justice center, business chamber, south Lawrence irrigation company. He has served in many church callings including: young mens, elder’s quorum, bishopric counselor, mission leader and district commissioner in boy scouts.
David has been in court usually three days a week and sometimes every day if there were preliminary hearings or trials. He has been involved in hundreds of trials and hearings. He has represented defendants in every aspect of the court process and nearly every delinquency and criminal problem in the courts. He has maintained excellent relationshps with opposing counsel, courts and their staff. He has provided necessary public defender services to so very many people in dire circumstances. David has the ability to quickly analyze cases and grasp what legal questions need to be addressed. He resolves cases timely and amicably.
Outside of the office the Allreds have been involved in many activities and pursuits. McKette has made and decorated wedding cakes and special occasion cakes. She loves shopping, exercising and especially Zumba. She enjoys camping with her family and fishing. She enjoys time spent with her children and grandchildren.
David loves to fish, bowfish, play basketball and racquetball. He enjoys gymnastics, plays the piano and was on the ski patrol. He has been a coach for Babe Ruth and Little League baseball.
Emery County Attorney Mike Olsen read the list of accomplishments the Allreds have made to the local community and thanked them for their service. The Emery County commissioners Kent Wilson, Lynn Sitterud and Paul Cowley added their thanks to the Allreds for their contribution to Emery County.
The Allreds will speak in the Orangeville Ward at 9 a.m. on April 22 before they begin their missionary service.