About
Rio Foltz, PLLC was started by Michael Rio and Jessica Foltz in 2023. We provide exceptional criminal and civil legal representation to our clients, who consist exclusively of municipalities. Our firm is proud to represent the City of Pasco, the City of Richland, the City of West Richland, the City of Prosser, the City of Othello, and the City of College Place. We also provide regular law enforcement trainings for police agencies throughout eastern Washington. In addition, Mr. Rio and Ms. Foltz have taught Criminal Law to new police recruits at the Basic Law Enforcement Academy Regional Training Campus in Pasco since its inception.
Our Team
Michael Rio
Michael Rio graduated from the University of Montana in 1995 with a degree in cellular and molecular biology. He graduated cum laude from the Gonzaga School of Law in 1999 and was admitted as a United States Patent Practitioner in 2000. Mr. Rio obtained a Master of Laws degree (L.L.M.), in intellectual property, from the University of Houston Law Center in 2001, and was admitted to the Washington State Bar Association in 2001.
Mr. Rio began his legal career in 2002 as a deputy prosecuting attorney for Spokane County where he prosecuted misdemeanor and felony property crimes. In 2005, Mr. Rio began prosecuting cases in the Tri-Cities where he eventually became the primary prosecuting attorney for the cities of Pasco, Richland, and West Richland. In addition to prosecution services, Mr. Rio provides legal advice to the Richland and West Richland police departments regarding civil forfeiture matters, code enforcement actions, and extreme risk protection orders. Mr. Rio has also been the hearing examiner for the City of Benton City, relating to city code violations, since 2007. In 2009, Mr. Rio successfully completed the DRE Pre School Program of the IACP Drug Evaluation and Classification Program. Additionally, Mr. Rio has provided law enforcement training for the cities of Union Gap, Sunnyside, Grandview, West Richland, Richland, Pasco, Kennewick, Connell, Othello, and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
Jessica Foltz
Jessica Foltz obtained her undergraduate degree from Pacific Lutheran University in 2006 and attended law school at the University of Idaho College of Law, graduating in 2009. While in law school, Ms. Foltz interned as a prosecutor for the cities of Clarkston and Asotin, Washington. After being admitted to the Washington State Bar Association in 2009, she continued as prosecutor for the cities of Clarkston and Asotin until leaving to accept a Deputy Prosecutor position in Whitman County in 2010. Over the next three years Ms. Foltz was employed as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Whitman and Klickitat Counties, where she prosecuted both misdemeanor and felony crimes and handled criminal appeals.
Ms. Foltz became an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Kennewick in 2013 and was a fulltime prosecutor until being promoted in 2016. Since that time and until leaving Kennewick in March of 2023, Ms. Foltz supervised the Criminal Division of the City Attorney’s Office and was the primary legal advisor for the Kennewick Police Department, providing legal opinions, reviewing policies and procedures, and conducting regular legal trainings for officers.
Currently, Ms. Foltz is the City Attorney for the City of West Richland. She also assists with prosecution for the cities of Prosser, Richland, and West Richland.
Carey Campbell
Carey Campbell attended the University of Washington where he obtained his undergraduate degree in mathematics. He went on to graduate from Seattle University School of Law in 2020 and was admitted to the Washington State Bar Association the same year. For the first three and half years of his career he focused on family law, while also handling personal injury, probate, estate planning, and criminal defense cases. Carey has litigated cases in superior and district courts across eastern Washington, including Walla Walla, Benton, Franklin, Adams, Grant, and Yakima counties. Carey is active in the local bar association, and recently completed a term as president. Carey joined Rio Foltz in February of 2024 and works primarily with the cities of Pasco, Othello, Richland, and West Richland prosecuting misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor cases. He handles civil matters on an as-needed basis.
Sarah Zimmerman
Sarah joined Rio Foltz in July of 2024, having previously prosecuted for the City of Kennewick. Sarah prosecutes cases for the Cities of Pasco, Richland, West Richland, and Prosser and assists with civil work as needed.
Jessica Guizar
Jessica Guizar was hired in the Spring of 2023 as a part-time legal assistant. Jessica is bilingual in English and Spanish and ensures that we can effectively communicate with victims in our criminal cases. Jessica is the prosecution paralegal for the Cities of Othello, College Place, and Prosser and is also a Rule 6 law clerk working toward admission to the bar.

