By SHARON WALLS
“The rule of law doesn’t work unless it applies to all of us.” That was the ironic, and frankly hypocritical, headline chosen by Attorney General Treg Taylor in Must Read Alaska.
Treg Taylor: The rule of law doesn’t work unless it applies to all of us
Taylor’s article was not a defense of equal justice, but rather an attempt to discredit a man he dismissed as a “progressive activist, associated with the California Innocence Project.”
But what exactly made David Ignell “progressive”? Was it his work to fight for justice, expose corruption, and challenge malicious prosecutions? If so, then perhaps “progressive” simply means refusing to ignore injustice. In that case, I proudly stand in the same camp. More likely, the label was meant only as a cheap attempt to discredit.
This kind of rhetoric is dangerous. Our president has spoken forcefully against corrupt prosecutors, biased judges, and politically motivated cases. Suggesting that anyone who holds such views must be “progressive” trivializes a serious issue — one the American people care deeply about. Justice is not partisan. The rule of law must apply equally, or it fails us all.
Gross Misrepresentation of Facts
Taylor’s version of “what actually happened” relied almost entirely on a single witness: the bar manager. This was the same employee who failed to remove a drunk man after the first attack — and who later admitted he “had a good thing going with his job and didn’t want to lose it.” His former employer confirmed he had been fired for embezzlement. Yet Taylor chose to build his account around him.
Meanwhile, other evidence and witnesses directly contradicted that account. The attacker himself admitted he was never placed in a chokehold — something confirmed by recorded evidence. Two other state witnesses testified that it was the bar manager, not my husband, who applied a chokehold while my husband restrained the attacker. These statements, from Taylor’s own witnesses, were entirely omitted from his article.
Taylor claims this was “violence, not policing.” But how exactly should one detain a man — after two attacks, outweighing my husband by 60 pounds — without using force? The force was necessary, proportionate, and corroborated by a state witness. Waiting for a third attack would have been reckless.
The so-called “rock wall” never happened. No witnesses corroborated it, and the only video Alaska State Troopers obtained doesn’t support it. I can be heard on trooper audio asking whether they would obtain a warrant for all the surveillance video. I even warned the footage might be destroyed. The trooper told staff they were liable and soon after, multiple recordings vanished. Only a partial video survived.
Why were we pleading for video evidence? Because it could have told the truth, free from bias and omission. Its disappearance left the record shaped by selective testimony and contradictions.
Repeated Prosecutorial Failures
Taylor portrays the dismissed indictments as “procedural.” In reality, the judge explicitly described the state’s testimony as false, misleading, inaccurate, and incomplete — and faulted prosecutors for failing to correct it.
Even after two dismissals, the same trooper was brought back before the grand jury a third time, despite his credibility already being discredited in open court. This was not justice. It was a refusal to take responsibility, and a reckless abuse of the grand jury process.
Misconstruing “The Settlement”
Taylor further misrepresented “the settlement.” My husband retired so we could leave Alaska after years of harassment from Taylor’s office and this trooper. We communicated that we would continue legal action from outside the state.
At that point, Taylor’s prosecutors offered to drop all charges with prejudice, on the condition that my husband not return to Alaska law enforcement. That was never in question; we had no desire to stay. The prosecutors also promised to leave me alone, ending their repeated threats of new charges.
We left with everything we wanted: all charges dismissed with prejudice. What did Taylor’s office get? Nothing. So why drag this case through three grand juries, built on false and incomplete testimony? The answer is simple: to force us out of Ketchikan Alaska, where his leadership in the war against fentanyl was generating huge wins.
The Real Credibility Problem
Taylor speaks of law enforcement credibility. But credibility is his office’s biggest problem. He dropped all charges against the man who attacked me — yet pursued us for years, at immense public expense, despite the judge’s repeated warnings.
This isn’t leadership. At public meetings, Taylor blames troopers, judges, even the Supreme Court. Real leaders take responsibility. They face facts, even when uncomfortable.
Closing: Truth and Accountability
I write this not to rehash old wounds but to set the record straight. My husband and I are private citizens now, with zero convictions. Taylor’s article was unethical, dishonest, and malicious — much like his prosecution. His refusal to ever admit error mirrors a broader problem within Alaska’s justice system.
The truth is not negotiable. No amount of selective testimony, missing video, or repeated grand juries can change what actually happened. Alaska deserves better leadership than this.
Sharon Walls is the wife of a former Ketchikan police chief, was formerly law enforcement and private investigation.
David Ignell: How Attorney General Treg Taylor ran a decorated police chief out of Ketchikan
David Ignell: How the Alaska attorney general tried to destroy a cop who fought fentanyl, Part II
David Ignell: With Trump gone, the arrival of Bondi and Patel is urgently needed in Alaska
Treg Taylor: The rule of law doesn’t work unless it applies to all of us
David Ignell: To reform Alaska OCS, we must first reform the judiciary
1. Excellent commentary / analysis / relevant facts …👍 👍
2. I was right to be suspicious of Mr. Taylor’s article of the event/issue…👎👎
Everyone’s right to be suspicious of Mr. Taylor’s articles.
He’s demonstrated himself to be inadequate and strongly inclined to avoid effort and responsibility. His articles are fluff pieces aimed at getting his name spattered about.
Former attorney general Treg Taylor, apparently the “hip” version of the name Tregarrick R. Taylor of Utah, is absolutely the last person Alaskans should elect as governor of the state of Alaska. The following are only some of the reasons that we must not vote for this individual to lead the state of Alaska.
1. Taylor and the person he would select as “his” AG (Alaskans cannot vote for AG), would work together to make Alaska unrecognizable. The rule of law will not work because it won’t be applied equally to all of us. The values we hold will not be made manifest in Alaska with Taylor in charge, because he thinks he is smarter than the rest of us.
2. Taylor has his favorites and no matter the merits of any case or issue, he and his sycophants will always win.
3. Due to his high spending travel history in recent years, Alaska will not be able to afford to pay for the luxurious trips he and his wife will take and bill to us.
4. The state’s contribution to education budgets would be diminished to the point that basic building requirements would be reduced such that the school buildings will be unacceptable for teachers’ teaching and students’ learning. They will become dangerous.
4. Taylor is no leader! After being informed in writing of the mental health conditions that a lawyer who works for him admits to having and demonstrating over a lengthy period of time, Taylor chooses to ignore the severe problem and what will happen as a result. He has not created a workplace environment at the Department of Law that Alaskans can take pride in. Stated briefly, he does not give a damn about anybody other than himself and probably his immediate family.
DO NOT VOTE FOR THIS GUY!
3.
Yup.
Another RINO NeoCon pretending to be something he’s not.
Anyone but Taylor.
He’s a damnable liar.
In all of this years long affair the only thing that comes to mind is, to what end? Why did this all transpire the way it did, there has to be more to this story than the AG just went after a small town police chief for no reason and apparently with little or no evidence if the police chief and his wife are to be believed.
So to what end was all of this, and to what end is it now being brought to light?
Steve -O
I was thinking the same thing. I don’t believe this will be the end to this story. There is more to this saga that we’re not being told.
You had me until number 3. Now he has my vote! Defund the disastrous school system and fire all the administrators!
Spoken like a true DOGE-ist.
Thank you for writing this article, Sharon. It does point out more important information and facts regarding what happened to you and your husband. My personal experience dealing with Treg Taylor and the Department of Law most definitely confirms your perspective. In my case, it’s a matter of public corruption related to illegal hiring activity, and it has extremely serious safety ramifications.
I literally handed Treg Taylor copies of the Alaska Constitution, related Alaska Statutes, and Administrative Codes that specifically deal with the matter I brought to him and Governor Dunleavy in a meeting in the Governor’s Office in Anchorage in August of 2022.
You may not remember him, but I even had Art Chance review this case. Art wrote many articles here for Must Read Alaska. Art Chance probably knew more about Administrative Law and Labor Relations than anyone in this State. He unfortunately passed away in 2023, but he also reviewed this case for me and agreed that this matter is not permitted under State Law. This matter has been going on for more than a decade, and the Department of Law along with previous political administrations have all made the decision to either cover up or ignore this crime. And now Treg wants to be trusted with the incredible amount of responsibility of the Governor’s Office? It’s absolutely ridiculous! He chose to cover up or ignore this ongoing crime as the AG. Treg Taylor and the Department of Law are not to be trusted.
I’m sorry to hear and learn about what you and your husband went through. Alaska is a wonderful place to live. But we are in desperate need of Kash Patel’s involvement some how up here. President Trump would be wise to fully investigate what is going on up here before he trusts ANYONE in public office in Alaska.
Thank you both for your service in Ketchikan, so sorry it was made so terribly difficult.
Notwithstanding her position on establishing a Department of Agriculture in Alaska, Shelly Hughes is a much better candidate than Treg Taylor.
I feel that Chief Walls was doing a good job on the war against fetanyl. What did the others have to hide, who are they connected to? Cartels? Mafia? Gangs? Never know anymore….