Daniel grew up on a homestead farm along the Pudding River between Mount Angel and Gervais, amongst people for whom hard, physical work was just a part of life. He is a proud father to Anna Bettina (27, of Würzburg, Germany, about whose struggles Daniel has written in “The Best Worst Thing That Ever Happened to Me“) and SGT Thomas Zene Crowe, U.S. Army (24, of Rexburg, Idaho). He is husband to Anita “Ær” Dittrich-Crowe, a wife to whom he cannot ever sufficiently express his appreciation.
From 1987 until 1995, Daniel served in the Army as a paratrooper, Army Ranger, West Point Cadet, and Cavalry Officer. In 1995, Daniel was sent by the Army to law school at the University of Washington and subsequently transitioned to the role of Army Judge Advocate. From 1987 until 2017, Daniel served in over 40 duty stations.
In 2011, Daniel returned to Oregon, still with the Army, to serve as Oregon’s inaugural Veterans’ Advocate. Daniel’s Veterans’ Justice Project was based out of the Metropolitan Public Defender’s office in downtown Portland. Daniel worked with leaders like Oregon Department of Veteran Affairs Cameron Smith, and countless County Veteran Service Officers, to cut Oregon’s Veterans’ Suicide rate in half (from 48.8/100,000 to 24.4/100,000), rehouse countless Veterans and Veteran Families, and send everyone who needed it to treatment. Daniel describes their approach as “doing everything we could to show every Veteran they were worth loving well.”
Since retiring from the military with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel Daniel has also pursued one of his other passions, philosophy, and continues working towards a doctorate.
Daniel also served his community by sitting on the Mt. Angel school board and as Chair of the Military and Veteran’s Law Section of the Oregon State Bar. In 2016 Daniel ran for Oregon Attorney General on a platform of the non-partisan administration of justice and focusing on addressing public corruption which Oregon ranked last in the nation in prosecuting. He won the majority vote in 25 of 36 counties.
In light of the epidemic of crime in Oregon, Daniel felt called to return to service in Oregon’s legal system and has been working as a Prosecutor in Central Oregon.
Having served the Rule of Law from different angles – both in Oregon and worldwide – Daniel understands the nuances and balance of justice, which is indispensable for serving as a judge on one of Oregon’s high courts.
Daniel with his wife, Anita “Ær” Dittrich-Crowe
Daniel with his son, Thomas Zene Crowe
Daniel with his daughter, Anna Bettina Crowe
Crowe for Justice 