Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced that he has accepted the recommendations of the Commission on Judicial Selection for an Eighth Judicial District trial court bench vacancy in the city of Willmar in Kandiyohi County.  The opening occurred with the retirement of the Honorable John C. Lindstrom on August 5, 2005.  The finalists are Dwayne N. Knutsen, Thomas G. Kramer, and Michael J. Thompson.

Knutsen, of Montevideo, is an attorney with the Montevideo law firm of Prindle, Maland, Sellner, Stennes, Knutsen and Stermer and is also the Chippewa County attorney.  He has been an attorney with the Prindle firm since 1986 and the Chippewa County attorney since 1999.  He also was a part-time assistant Eighth Judicial District public defender from 1995 to 1998.  Knutsen earned his juris doctorate degree from the University of Minnesota in 1985 and his bachelor of arts degree from the University of South Dakota, at Vermillion, in 1973.

Kramer, of Granite Falls, is the Yellow Medicine County attorney as well as a self-employed attorney in private practice.  He has been the Yellow Medicine County attorney since 1979.  He has also served periodically as a special county attorney for Chippewa, Lac Qui Parle, Lyon and Renville Counties and a special city attorney for Echo, Granite Falls, Porter and Renville and has been the city prosecutor for Wood Lake and the city attorney for Hazel Run.  Kramer earned his juris doctorate degree from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul in 1976 and his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Minnesota in 1972.

Thompson, of Litchfield, is the Meeker County attorney, a position he has held since 1990.  He was an assistant Meeker County attorney from 1986 to 1990, a solo practitioner in Litchfield from 1983 to 1986, an attorney with White and Thompson in Litchfield in 1982 and an attorney with the White Law Office in Cosmos in 1981.  Thompson earned his juris doctorate cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul in 1980 and his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Montana, at Missoula, in 1976.

The Commission on Judicial Selection screens judicial candidates and makes recommendations to the Governor for district court vacancies that occur during the term of a judge.  The commission consists of 13 members: nine at-large members and four members from the judicial district.  The commission members include attorneys and non-attorneys appointed by the Governor and the Minnesota Supreme Court.  The commission received 14 applications for this judicial vacancy.