3 finalists named for Duluth judgeship – Duluth News Tribune

DULUTH — Three finalists have been named for an upcoming vacancy on the local bench.

Attorneys Matthew Benfield, Nathan LaCoursiere and Angela Wilson were recommended Friday by the Minnesota Commission on Judicial Selection for a seat chambered at the St. Louis County Courthouse in Duluth.

Judge Eric Hylden, the longest-serving member of the 6th Judicial District,

will retire Oct. 10 after more than 18 years on the bench.

Gov. Tim Walz is expected to appoint a replacement in the coming weeks. The governor is not bound by the commission’s recommendations, but typically selects from the list of finalists.

Contributed / Minnesota Commission on Judicial Selection

Benfield is a managing attorney for the local public defender’s office, representing clients in criminal matters while also helping to supervise attorneys and support staff in southern St. Louis, Carlton, Lake and Cook counties. He was previously an assistant public defender and a solo practitioner, handling family and criminal cases.

A member of the public defender’s DNA and forensic evidence working group and the district court’s security committee, Benfield is also active in coordinating outreach events, including warrant resolution days, and has served on the board of the Volunteer Attorney Program and coached youth sports.

Contributed / Minnesota Commission on Judicial Selection

LaCoursiere is an assistant St. Louis County attorney, handling a wide range of civil, labor, appellate and real estate matters. He also teaches constitutional law as an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He earlier served in the civil division of the Duluth City Attorney’s Office and as a law clerk to Judge David Minge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

In the community, LaCoursiere has volunteered for the Duluth Energy Plan Commission and Minnesota Commission on Judicial Selection, and as an attorney for Judicare Legal Aid, representing low-income clients in Northwestern Wisconsin.

Contributed / Minnesota Commission on Judicial Selection

Wilson is a senior assistant St. Louis County attorney, prosecuting criminal cases at the Duluth courthouse. She has a long history in public service as an assistant district attorney in Douglas County, Wisconsin; senior assistant district attorney for the 18th Judicial District of Kansas; deputy attorney general in Kansas; and assistant district attorney in Douglas County, Kansas.

During her time in Superior, Wilson helped develop a peer-support program through the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s prosecutor training and education division. She has also served two terms on the Duluth Township Planning and Zoning Commission.

The judgeship is one of eight at the Duluth courthouse and one of 16 in the district, which includes all of St. Louis, Carlton, Lake and Cook counties. Judges must live in the district and appear on the ballot in all four counties.

Tom Olsen covers crime and courts and the 8th Congressional District for the Duluth News Tribune since 2013. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth and a lifelong resident of the city. Readers can contact Olsen at 218-723-5333 or tolsen@duluthnews.com.