[ST. PAUL, MN] – The Commission on Judicial Selection announced today that it is recommending three candidates for consideration to fill a vacancy in Minnesota’s Sixth Judicial District. The vacancy will occur upon the retirement of the Honorable Eric L. Hylden. The seat will be chambered in Duluth in St. Louis County.

Matthew Benfield: Matthew Benfield is a managing attorney in the Sixth Judicial District Public Defender’s Office. He represents clients in a variety of criminal matters and oversees a dedicated team of attorneys, paralegals, investigators, and dispositional advisors. Benfield was previously an assistant public defender in the same office and a solo practitioner at the Benfield Law Office, where his practice focused primarily on family and criminal law. He is a member of the Sixth Judicial District Public Defender’s DNA and forensic evidence working group, and he serves on the district’s court security committee. Benfield’s community involvement includes coordinating various outreach events, including warrant resolution days. He previously coached youth sports and served on the board of the Volunteer Attorney Program.

Nathan LaCoursiere: Nathan LaCoursiere is an assistant county attorney in the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office, where he represents the county in a wide range of civil, labor, appellate, and real estate matters. He is also an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he teaches constitutional law. LaCoursiere was previously an assistant city attorney for the City of Duluth and a law clerk to the Honorable David R. Minge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. His past community and professional involvement include volunteering for the Duluth Energy Plan Commission, the Minnesota Commission on Judicial Selection, and serving as a Judicare Legal Aid attorney, representing low-income clients in northwestern Wisconsin.

Angela Wilson: Angela Wilson is a senior assistant county attorney for the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office. She was previously an assistant district attorney in Douglas County, Wisconsin; a senior assistant district attorney for the Eighteenth Judicial District of Kansas; a deputy attorney general for the Kansas Attorney General’s Office; and an assistant district attorney in Douglas County, Kansas. As an assistant district attorney in Douglas County, Wisconsin, Wilson helped develop a peer support program through the Statewide Prosecutor Education and Training Division of the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Her community involvement includes serving two terms on the Duluth Township Planning and Zoning Commission in St. Louis County.

For more information about the judicial selection process, please visit the Governor’s Judicial Appointments webpage.