West, Dion Michelle

Mr. Welch spent his childhood years as a military "brat" living on the bases all over the United States. After graduating from an American high school in Ankara Turkey in May 1973, Mr. Welch attended the University of Pennsylvania graduating in December 1976. After graduating law school from the University of Illinois, Mr. Welch took a position as an assistant public defender in Champaign County Illinois starting in December 1980.

Mr. Welch left the Public Defender's Office in May 1983, and opened his own practice concentrating in criminal defense. Since December 1991, Mr. Welch has been the Public Defender for Ford County IL. in addition to maintaining his private criminal defense practice. Mr. Welch's practice consists entirely of criminal and traffic defense, in both Illinois and Federal Courts. Mr. Welch is a member of the Panel Federal Criminal Defense Attorneys for the Central District of Illinois, which means that he can be appointed by the court in federal criminal cases.