News Item
The Honorable Paul T. Benshoof Reelected Ninth Judicial District Chief Judge

Posted: Wednesday, April 12, 2017

The Honorable Tamara L. Yon to Serve as Assistant Chief Judge

The Honorable Paul T. Benshoof has been reelected to serve as chief judge of Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District by his fellow judges in the district. His second term as chief judge is effective July 1, 2017.
 
Chief Judge Benshoof has served in the Ninth Judicial District since April 1997. Before his appointment to the bench, Chief Judge Benshoof spent nearly 20 years in private practice. He earned his juris doctorate degree cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1978, and his Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude with distinction from Carleton College in Northfield in 1974. Chief Judge Benshoof is chambered in the Beltrami County Courthouse in Bemidji.
 
“It is a great honor to have been reelected by my fellow judges to serve another term as chief judge,” said Chief Judge Benshoof.  “I look forward to continuing to work with my fellow judges in the Ninth District and across the state to provide the high quality of justice the people of Minnesota deserve.”
 
The Honorable Tamara L. Yon was reelected as the assistant chief judge in the Ninth District. Assistant Chief Judge Yon was appointed to the bench in April 2006. She previously spent 12 years in private practice, and during that time, also served as a Chapter 7 trustee for the U.S. Department of Justice. Her chambers are located in the Polk County Courthouse in Crookston.
 
By statute, the chief judge of a judicial district exercises general administrative authority over the courts within the district, including assigning judges to serve in locations throughout the district. The chief judge of each judicial district also serves as a member of the Minnesota Judicial Council, the administrative policy-making authority for the Minnesota Judicial Branch.
 
Chief judges and assistant chief judges are elected to two-year terms by the judges within the district. No judge may serve as chief judge or assistant chief judge for more than two consecutive two-year terms. New two-year terms begin on July 1.