[ST. PAUL, MN] – The Commission on Judicial Selection announced today that it is recommending three candidates for consideration to fill a vacancy in Minnesota’s Sixth Judicial District. The vacancy occurred upon the retirement of the Honorable Michael J. Cuzzo. The seat will be chambered in Cook and Lake counties.
Steve Hanke: Steve Hanke is an attorney for the City of Duluth, where he practices civil law and prosecutes criminal matters. He is also an adjunct professor in the Human Behavior, Justice and Diversity Department at the University of Wisconsin – Superior. His community involvement includes volunteering with the Minnesota State Bar Association as a high school mock trial judge, as well as with the Duluth Area Family YMCA and the Duluth Amateur Hockey Association. He also serves as the president of the 11th District Bar Association and as a board member for the Damiano Center.
Molly Hicken: Molly Hicken serves as the Cook County attorney, where she is the county’s chief prosecutor and legal advisor. She was previously an assistant county attorney in the office. She helped found Cook County’s hybrid treatment court and serves on the advisory council for the Cook County Minnesota Restorative Justice program. She is vice president of the board of directors for the Minnesota County Attorney’s Association and is a member of both the Rural Justice Collaborative and the Beyond Big Cities initiative of the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution.
Tyson Smith: Tyson Smith is a managing attorney at Smith Law, PLLC in Grand Marais, where he is a general practitioner and takes cases in most major practice areas. He was previously an associate attorney at Bernick Lifson, P.A. practicing primarily in civil litigation. His community involvement includes volunteering as an emergency responder for Cook County Search & Rescue and as a member of the Grand Marais Lion’s Club.
For more information about the judicial selection process, please visit the Governor’s Judicial Appointments webpage (https://mn.gov/governor/appointments/judicialappointments/).
