10-14-2024 CC Agenda Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

4 232370v2 metro. Nineteen years later, Jerome’s passion for prosecution has not faded, and he continues to grow in both his legal knowledge and acumen in regards to municipal prosecution. Jerome takes pride in the relationships that he has forged with individual police officers. These relationships are beneficial for both pretrial preparation and in court testimony. Jerome’s consistently positive attitude and desire to help endears him to both municipal clients and court personnel. Jerome has a vast breadth of legal knowledge pertaining to prosecution and ensures that municipal clients’ questions are not only answered, but the reasoning behind the answer is also explained. Jerome’s belief is that when the client understands the “why,” the willingness to follow the recommendation/advice is increased twofold. Jerome gives municipal clients peace of mind by providing correct legal advice in a timely fashion. Benjamin Colburn. Ben has been practicing law for more than 24 years in the Minnesota criminal and family court system. After law school, Ben served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Donald Rysavy and the Honorable Fred Wellmann in the Third Judicial District of Minnesota. Ben then practiced for 10 years as a private criminal defense and family law attorney representing clients throughout the State of Minnesota. For the last 13 years, Ben has been a criminal prosecutor. Ben joined Campbell Knutson in 2021 and focuses his practice exclusively as a prosecutor in criminal court. Ben has also served as a City representative on the Dakota County Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) grant oversight committee, and is currently a City Representative and helps staff the Domestic Violence Coordinated Community Response (DVCCR) work group in Dakota County. Ben also serves as an administrative hearing officer in Dakota County. Ben takes special pride in developing and maintaining relationships with law enforcement officers and city staff. Ben is available for consultation with law enforcement officers and city staff 24/7 and welcomes off-hour calls for questions, consultation, and bail settings. Cara McDonald. Cara has been a licensed attorney for 8 years. Cara has been with Campbell Knutson for two years, where she exclusively practices criminal prosecution. Cara attended William Mitchell College of Law, where she quickly developed a keen interest in criminal law. After graduating in 2016, she served as a judicial law clerk for both the Honorable Erik Askegaard of the Eight Judicial District and the Honorable Rex Stacey of the First Judicial District. Cara began her criminal law practice as a defense attorney, including a full-time position with the First District Public Defender’s Office. In this role, she handled hundreds of cases, ranging from misdemeanor traffic violations to felony homicide. She was in the courtroom on a daily basis, handling arraignments, jury trials, and everything in between. This position provided Cara with invaluable practical experience and insight, and it solidified her passion for criminal law. She was often assigned to defend cases that were prosecuted by Campbell Knutson. She was consistently impressed with the city prosecutors’ professionalism and genuine dedication to obtaining just outcomes. When the opportunity arose, she leapt at the chance to join the Campbell Knutson team. As a prosecutor, Cara believes strongly in consisten cy and personal accountability, and she strives to resolve cases in the manner that will best safeguard our communities. She aims to be a friendly, approachable resource for law enforcement officers and city staff. Meagan Kelley. Meagan is an associate attorney with Campbell Knutson since 2020. Meagan graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. In 2017, she graduated from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. While attending law school , Meagan clerked in the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office where she handled adult felony cases at various stages of the criminal process. Prior to joining Campbell Knutson, Meagan served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Gary Bastian and the 57