News Item
Karen R. Duncan Appointed to Fill Third Judicial District Vacancy
Posted: Monday, January 21, 2013
Today, Governor Mark Dayton announced the appointment of Ms. Karen R. Duncan as District Court Judge in Minnesota’s Third Judicial District. Ms. Duncan will be replacing The Honorable Casey J. Christian, who retired on December 31, 2012. The judgeship will be chambered at Owatonna in Steele County.
“Ms. Duncan has demonstrated a serious commitment to justice and our state’s legal system and she will be an excellent judge,” said Governor Dayton. “Her history of public service and community engagement will help her as she serves the people of the Third Judicial District.”
Karen R. Duncan – Ms. Duncan is the Chief Public Defender for the Third Judicial District, where she supervises staff and volunteers serving clients in the eleven counties of the district. She previously served as the Assistant Public Defender for the district, and prior to that, was the sole practitioner of the Duncan Law Office in Owatonna. She has also been an Assistant County Attorney for Rice and Olmsted Counties in Minnesota, and for Benton County in Iowa. Ms. Duncan earned her B.A. from the University of Minnesota and her J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.
Additionally, Ms. Duncan is a member of Owatonna Business Women, Steele County Safe and Drug Free Community Coalition, and the Steele County Transitional Housing Board.