(KNSI) – A Stearns County prosecutor is exchanging her business attire for a black robe after being named to a judgeship in Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District.
Meriel Lester has been tapped to fill a vacancy in Morisson County and will be seated in a courtroom in Little Falls. Lester is a criminal prosecutor and was the assistant chief in the Criminal Division of the Stearns County Attorney’s Office with a focus on intimate partner violence and human trafficking cases. Lester helped shape the county’s approach to domestic violence through her work developing specialized courts and now serves as the designated prosecutor for a regional human trafficking task force.
Her community involvement includes serving as a youth hockey team manager and as vice president of both the Sartell Sauk Rapids Lacrosse Association and Sartell Sapphire Gymnastics. She received her B.A. from St. Cloud State University and her J.D. from the University of St. Thomas School of Law.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz selected her to replace Judge Leonard A. Weiler, who announced his retirement earlier this year.
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