The Commission on Judicial Selection announced Monday, May 12, the recommendations of three candidates for consideration to fill the vacancy in Minnesota’s 9th Judicial District.
The vacancy will occur upon the retirement of Judge Erik J. Askegaard. This seat will be chambered in Aitkin in Aitkin County.
Candidates are Daniel Hawley, Cindi Hills and Jordan Olsen.
Hawley is a partner at Gammello-Pearson PLLC, where he practices family law, criminal defense, civil litigation, real estate, corporate and business law, estate planning and municipal law. In this role, he serves as defense counsel for the Crow Wing County DWI Court program. Hawley was previously an associate at Gammello-Pearson PLLC and a law clerk for retired Judge David J. Ten Eyck in the 9th Judicial District.
Hawley’s community involvement includes serving as vice president of the Aitkin/Crow Wing Bar Association and the 15th Bar Association, president of the Crow Wing County Law Library Board of Trustees and chair of the board of directors of Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity.
Hills is an assistant director of Labor Relations at the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system office. She previously worked as an assistant county attorney in Crow Wing County and an assistant public defender in the 9th Judicial District in Aitkin County.
Hills judges moot court competitions, volunteers in local schools and serves on the School Board for Aitkin Public Schools.
Olsen is a managing attorney in the Itasca County and Koochiching County public defender’s offices in the 9th Judicial District. He was previously an assistant public defender in various counties across the 9th Judicial District and a law clerk for Judge Anne M. Rasmusson in the 9th Judicial District.
Olsen is a member of the Public Defender DNA/Forensics team.
For more information about the judicial selection process, visit the Governor’s Judicial Appointments webpage.
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