Skagit County Sheriff John Boynton (1925 – 1999) 20 years, Democrat, FBI National Academy, WSP dispatcher, son of Dr. George Boynton, married to Lou Jane Boynton
Skagit County Sheriff John Boynton (1925-1999) was not what you saw on the exterior. He was tall, wore a crew cut, and had a stern expression. Around people who didn’t know him, he talked about how law enforcement was like the military. When I first heard him speak about military discipline, I was appalled. It was his way of “breaking in” a young deputy prosecutor. In reality, he had a big heart and was a moderate Democrat in the FDR tradition. John was born and raised in Skagit County, the son of a beloved local physician. John was very bright, understood the political climate of the county, and knew how to manage men and women law enforcement officers.
I think John saw me as a project to be encouraged and guided. He fostered a relationship between the prosecuting attorney and sheriff’s offices, wanting our attention to the felony cases referred by his office. When my office needed assistance finding witnesses or serving a trial summons, his office was responsive. John was easily re-elected County Sheriff, but in the 1980s, he ran for State Representative and lost. The voters wanted him to remain as Sheriff. John also was a friend of the Stevens County Sheriff, who was my father-in-law while I was in the Prosecutor’s office.