Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken today announced the formation of an advisory committee to assist them in recommending Minnesota’s next U.S. Attorney to the President. The current U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones has been nominated to serve as the permanent director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). His confirmation hearing is expected to be held soon. The committee will review letters of interest, conduct interviews, and offer guidance to Senators Klobuchar and Franken.

Judge Timothy O’Malley of the Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings and the former head of Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension will chair the committee, which will also include Annamarie Daley, a Minneapolis attorney in private practice; former U.S. Attorney Thomas Heffelfinger; Stearns County Attorney Janelle Kendall; Donald Lewis, Dean of Hamline Law School; retired St. Louis County Judge Carol Person; and Chief Thomas Smith of the St. Paul Police Department.

“Thisdistinguished group of attorneys and law enforcement professionals will help identify an individual who will continue Minnesota’s long tradition of outstanding U.S. Attorneys,” Senator Klobuchar said.“That means a seasoned, respected attorney who is fair-minded, able to work productively with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, and who is committed to seeing that justice is done under the law and for the people of Minnesota. I’m confident that with the committee’s help, we will find an outstanding Minnesotan for this important law enforcement post.”

“As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I have a deep appreciation for the law enforcement community and the judicial system,” said Senator Franken. “Because of that, I understand the value of selecting Minnesota’s next U.S. Attorney with an advisory committee of expert officials with diverse backgrounds. I look forward to receiving the committee’s findings, and I am confident that their search will help us choose a dedicated attorney who will represent Minnesota well.”

Those wishing to be considered for the position of U.S. Attorney should submit letters of interest byJune 3, 2013to: Judge Timothy O’Malley, U.S. Attorney Advisory Committee, c/o Caroline Holland, Office of Senator Amy Klobuchar, 1200 Washington Avenue South, Suite 250, Minneapolis, MN 55415. Letters may also be e-mailed to caroline_holland@judiciary-dem.senate.gov.

Short biographies of the advisory committee members are provided below: 

 

  • Timothy O’Malley will chair the committee. He is a former superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and is currently serving as Judge for the Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings.
  • Annamarie Daley is a partner in the Minneapolis office of Barnes & Thornburg. She has received many professional awards during the course of her distinguished career, including being honored as a Minnesota Attorney of the Year in 2006 by Minnesota Lawyer magazine, as well as being selected as a Minnesota Super Lawyer every year since 2000. Recently, Daley was named one of 25 “Women Industry Leaders” by the Minneapolis Business Journal.
  • Thomas Heffelfinger is an attorney at Best & Flanagan. He was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as Minnesota’s U.S. Attorney, a position he held from 2001 to 2006. He also held this position under President George H.W. Bush during the years 1991 to 1993. Heffelfinger has a long record of work on issues of importance to the Native American community, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Family Advocacy Center of Northern Minnesota in Bemidji.
  • Janelle Kendall is the Stearns County Attorney, a position she has held since 2002. She previously served as the Mille Lacs County Attorney from 1999-2002. Kendall led the formation and implementation of the nation’s first Repeat Felony Domestic Violence Court in 2009. She is the past President of the Minnesota County Attorney’s Association (MCAA) and has served on the MCAA Board of Directors since 1999. 
  • Donald Lewis is the Dean of the Hamline University School of Law. Before becoming dean, Lewis co-founded the Minneapolis law firm of Nilan Johnson Lewis, where he remains of counsel. Before practicing in the private sector, Lewis served as an Assistant United States Attorney for six years.·        
  • Carol Person is a former St. Louis County Judge, a position she held from 1993 to 2004. She was the first woman to become president of the 11th District Bar Association and one of the first women in the state to be certified as a civil trial specialist. She is also the founder of the South St. Louis County Domestic Violence Task Force and the first drug court in northern Minnesota.
  • Thomas Smith is the St. Paul Police Chief. He became police chief in 2010 after serving 20 years in the St. Paul Police Department. 

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