FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 21, 2023
Contact: Claire Lancaster
claire.lancaster@state.mn.us
651-219-2975
Commission on Judicial Selection Recommends First Judicial District Candidates to Governor Walz
[ST.
PAUL, MN] – The Commission on Judicial Selection announced today that
it is recommending five candidates for consideration to fill two
vacancies in Minnesota’s First Judicial District. The vacancies will
occur upon the retirement of the Honorable Mark C. Vandelist and
Honorable Tim D. Wermager. The seats will be chambered in Shakopee in
Scott County and Hastings in Dakota County.
Adam Johnson:
Adam Johnson is the deputy county administrator for Rice County, where
he serves as a legal advisor to the county administrator and the county
board on a wide variety of civil and operational matters. He was
previously chief assistant for the Rice County Attorney’s Office, where
he was primarily responsible for criminal prosecution of felonies
including domestic assault, criminal sexual conduct, and murder.
Johnson’s community involvement includes serving as an American Mock
Trial Association judge, volunteering at legal aid clinics provided by
Legal Assistance of Dakota County, and serving as the Fifth District Bar
Association representative to the Minnesota State Bar Association.
Additionally, Johnson has previously volunteered at Worthington Dollars
for Scholars, Feed My Starving Children, and Volunteers Enlisted to Aid
People.
Lauren Johnson:
Lauren Johnson is an associate attorney with Melchert Hubert Sjodin,
PLLP, where she specializes in family law, orders for protection, and
child protection matters. She previously served as an assistant county
attorney for the McLeod County Attorney’s Office, where she focused on
criminal prosecution and child support. Johnson also worked as a staff
attorney with the Autism Advocacy & Law Center, where she
represented families with special needs. Her community involvement
includes serving as a board member of the ISD 110 Foundation and as
president of the Eighth District Bar Association. Johnson has also
volunteered with Lutheran Social Services.
Krista Marks:
Krista Marks is an assistant public defender in the Fourth Judicial
District Public Defender’s Office in Hennepin County. She was previously
a staff attorney and expungement program director at the Neighborhood
Justice Center, where her work centered around community advocacy.
Marks’s community involvement includes volunteering at her son’s school
and Neighbors, Inc., which is a local non-profit that provides food,
clothing, and other services to those in need in her community.
Kelly Staples:
Kelly Staples is a solo practitioner primarily practicing family law,
including domestic abuse and harassment cases. She also serves as
court-appointed counsel for Dakota County, where she represents parties
in child support contempt and paternity matters. Staples is also a
conciliation court referee for Dakota County District Court. Her
community involvement includes serving as a volunteer and board member
for Legal Assistance of Dakota County and Momentum Dance Project. She
has also volunteered as a mock trial judge with the Minnesota State Bar
Association.
Aaron Winter:
Aaron Winter is an assistant attorney general at the Office of the
Minnesota Attorney General, where he represents the Minnesota Department
of Human Services in civil litigation and civil commitment proceedings.
He previously served as an assistant attorney general in Tennessee,
where he represented the state in criminal appeals and federal habeas
litigation. His community involvement includes coaching his son's soccer
team and high schoolers in speech and debate.
For more information about the judicial selection process, please visit the Governor’s Judicial Appointments webpage.
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