Ventura to interview candidates for Brainerd judge next week

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

Sept. 16, 1999

By Devlyn Brooks

A week from today, Gov. Jesse Ventura will interview the three finalists for a new judgeship to be chambered at Brainerd, according to an official in the governor's office.

One of those finalists is state Sen. David Ten Eyck, DFL-East Gull Lake, elected to represent the Senate 4 district that includes Bemidji and southern Beltrami County, along with Hubbard and Cass counties and part of Itasca and Wadena counties.

John Hultquist, judicial appointments coordinator for the governor, said Wednesday the process is proceeding as planned and that a new judge could be named as soon as Sept. 24, the day after Ventura interviews the three candidates.

"We are trying, if at all possible, to make the announcement in Brainerd," Hultquist said. "It really means a lot and enhance the importance of the position when you go to the community to announce it. (Ventura) enjoys going to the courthouse where they'll work to do it, but it does slow down the process a bit."

Hultquist said after the interviews the announcement could come anytime.

"But if we can't get there until October," he said, "we'll do it then."

Ten Eyck is joined as a finalist by Crow Wing County Attorney Donald Ryan of Brainerd and former Assistant Crow Wing County Attorney Bobbie Sarff of Baxter.

This is the second of 13 additional district court judgeships created by the 1999 Legislature and the first of two set aside for the 9th Judicial District, the second coming in July 2000.

Should Ten Eyck be picked for the position, a special election would be needed to fill his Senate seat, which is up for election in November 2000.

Ten Eyck recently formed a new law firm in Brainerd. He has also been an administrative law judge since 1998 and has done work for Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota, Anishinabe Legal Services in Cass Lake and as a solo practitioner.

Ryan has been Crow Wing County attorney since 1995 and has been an assistant part-time public defender and solo practitioner.

Sarff has been an attorney in private practice since 1991 and has been an assistant Crow Wing County attorney.