I will advise the Sheriff to immediately align jail intake policies with existing law. Current policies correctly recognize a noncitizen's right to contact their consulate, but policies incorrectly require staff to involve ICE. Sharing information that is not legally necessary to share—especially amid federal immigration crackdowns like Operation Metro Surge—endangers immigrant victims and families, risks violating people’s rights, and threatens public safety.
I will implement proven public safety initiatives like restorative justice and shifting resources to focus on serious person crimes. I will continue to show up and focus on community by launching a public data dashboard and prioritizing engagement through regular listening sessions.
I have practiced law in Rochester for 28 years, including my first 17 years proudly serving and developing into a dedicated and experienced Assistant Olmsted County Attorney. Now a legal aid lawyer, I represent parents facing poverty and other barriers. As a Rochester School Board member elected in 2020 and re-elected in 2024, I deliver thoughtful and collaborative local leadership through data-driven decisions on policies, complex budgets, strategic results, and superintendent supervision.
The Olmsted County Attorney’s Office faces a growing lack of public trust. I will focus on being more community-facing, transparent and visible, through external communication and public listening sessions. I will also launch a public data dashboard with case information and outcomes.
I am also concerned the office is too reliant on maintaining the status quo. I believe new leadership and a fresh perspective will improve justice partner relationships and the effectiveness of the office.
As a Third Judicial District Committee on Equity and Justice member and former Olmsted County Human Rights Commissioner, I am committed to racial justice and fair outcomes. As County Attorney, I will launch a public data dashboard to track charges and outcomes, and report any identified disparities. I fully support the County’s "One Olmsted" initiative to ensure equitable treatment for everyone. I will collaborate with staff to review policies and remove any identified barriers to justice.
I will manage conflict within the County Attorney’s Office through proactive and clear expectations, mutual respect for all staff, clear communication, taking time to listen and foster mutual understanding, and transparent decision making.
I will earn the public’s trust through clear, consistent and transparent communication and decisions, active collaboration with community partners, hosting community-facing listening sessions, and continuing to engage with the community at local events.
After observing an Active Threat Full-Scale Exercise, I know our community is prepared to respond to an active shooter. Gun violence is a public health crisis. As County Attorney, I will use my authority to advocate for safe gun storage, strictly enforce firearm surrender laws for domestic abusers and related offenses, partner with violence interruption programs (like the local C.E.R.T. program), and support common-sense legislation such as universal background checks and suicide prevention.
1. Proportionate Redress & Justice: True justice requires fairness and proportionate consequences. Sentences must fit the crime, holding offenders accountable while respecting due process and the common good.
2. Protecting Victims, Families & Public Safety: We prioritize victim safety, child protection, and firm accountability. In collaboration with community advocates and law enforcement, we updated our domestic abuse policy to eliminate stays of adjudication in domestic assault by strangulation cases.
3. Timely Resolution for Victims: Extended court delays prolong uncertainty and are fundamentally unfair to victims. We must continuously push the court to improve efficiency so victims receive timely closure.
As a lifelong Rochester resident, I’ve dedicated my career to serving Olmsted County. Appointed County Attorney in April 2025, I lead a team of over 50 professionals. My legal career spans everything from murder prosecutions to complex child protection trials. Having also served on the team that established our Drug Treatment Court and represented vulnerable individuals in private practice and public defense, I bring a well-rounded, balanced perspective to leading our justice system.
Through successful recruitment and retention, we’ve built a prosecution team second to none. However, our attorneys face systemic inertia when pursuing fair and timely resolutions in court. In response, I collaborated with court administration and defense counsel to restructure felony calendars and establish a weekly mental health court calendar to resolve competency delays. This significantly increased trial rates and efficiency, without abandoning our principles or proportionate resolutions.
Fairness requires objective standards, transparency, and treating people as individuals. In my first year in office, I rewrote our entire criminal prosecution policy from cover to cover to ensure decisions are strictly impartial. We also launched our first public data dashboard, allowing public tracking of declination and dismissal decisions by race. By anchoring our work in procedural fairness, morally sound principles, and transparent data, we uphold equal protection and the rule of law.
Internally, I lead with frankness and respect. By trying cases and appearing in court alongside our team, I inspire confidence and show staff I experience their daily realities firsthand. To earn public trust, we built support for our victim-witness team so crime victims receive clear, timely information about their cases. Through events like Safe City Nights, civic groups, and non-profit board service, our team stays accessible, active, and directly accountable to the community we serve.
We take firearm offenses extremely seriously. In the annual firearms report for my first year in office, our team achieved a significant increase in the rate of conviction for firearm offenses while consistently seeking the sentences required by law. Beyond criminal prosecution, we proactively represent the sheriff's office in civil court to secure Extreme Risk Protection Orders, removing firearms from dangerous situations before violence occurs to keep our community safe.
