Public Notice Detail

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (Aug. 6, 2004) – Hennepin County District Court Judge Catherine L. Anderson will become the new chairperson of the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section during the Association’s annual meeting this weekend in Atlanta.

Beginning Sunday, August 8, Judge Anderson will lead 20,000 attorneys in the Criminal Justice Section, which is responsible for developing standards for the country’s trial courts, prosecutors and defense attorneys.  The Section has also developed court guidelines for victims and child witnesses.  Currently, its members are leading the charge for sentencing and prison reform on the ABA Kennedy Commission and resolving sentencing issues related to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Blakely v. Washington.

“The bench and bar in our country have worked hard to ensure that all citizens receive an equal and just day in court,” Judge Anderson said.  “I am honored to have the opportunity to lead my colleagues in setting continued high standards for our criminal justice system.”

Judge Anderson was appointed to the Hennepin County District Court in 1991 and was last elected in 1998.  She is currently President of the Minnesota District Judges Association, which represents the state’s 274 district court judges, and has held numerous leadership positions inside and outside of the Judicial Branch.  Prior to her judicial career, she served as a felony prosecutor, a public defender and a special assistant to the U.S. Attorney General.  She is a 1969 graduate of the University of Minnesota and received her law degree in 1973 from the University of Minnesota Law School.