Event Description
Co-presented by the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense
Lawyers
and the Criminal Law Section
To Register: Click here or paste this link in your web browser: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYoc-GgrTMtGdevLj2AAjl35i2IG-b5JPag
In this course you
will learn how Minneapolis has been reducing gun cases with an intensive
diversion program. This program is so incredible, the DOJ is having Mary
Ellen present on it in DC this
fall.
Who is eligible for the
program?
What does the program entail?
What are the statistics of its
success?
Can this program be
expanded?
Presenter:
Mary Ellen Heng | Mary Ellen Heng received her Juris
Doctorate from the Indiana School of Law in 1995. After working for a
brief period at West Publishing as a Legal Editor, Ms. Heng joined the
Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office in July 1997 as a prosecuting attorney in the
criminal division. In this role, she was responsible for the prosecution
of misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor offenses taking place in the City of
Minneapolis. In May 2009, Ms. Heng was promoted to a Supervising Attorney
position, where she supervised a team that handled chronic offenders and
included community attorneys assigned to do public safety and community
engagement work in the five Minneapolis police precincts. In June 2012,
she was appointed to the position of Deputy City Attorney of the Criminal
Division, which she still holds today.
As the Criminal Deputy, Ms. Heng has led the office in offering a variety of
diversion programs, focusing on livability offenses, shoplifting, obstruct legal
process, driving without a license and the Pathways to New Beginnings Program
for first time gun offenders. Ms. Heng also participated in the Adult
Detention Initiative, where she helped develop the sign and release and book and
release protocol and warrants that are now used county wide. Ms. Heng
continues to be involved in the many criminal justice reforms being discussed in
Hennepin County for misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor level offenses.
CLE Credits: 1.0 Standard
CLE Credit
Cost: Free
Program Manager: Kara
Haro | kharo@mnbars.org | 612-278-6329