Baskfield appointed judge

KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

ST. JAMES -- Children, family members, friends, colleagues and others were on hand Thursday afternoon as Gov. Jesse Ventura officially named Allison Krehbeil Baskfield to a seat on the bench of Minnesota's Fifth Judicial District.

The governor made the announcement from behind a small podium, which was decorated with a red-white-and-blue sash, that stood in the middle of a small courtroom in the Watonwan County courthouse.

Ventura told onlookers that he chose Baskfield because she "brings the right mix of qualities to the job. She was a defender in rural Minnesota and a prosecutor in the city. She has a no-nonsense style but brings sensitivity to ethnic and cultural issues. And, having grown up on a farm, Allison is not afraid of hard work."

Ventura made a similar announcement earlier in the day in Marshall, where he named Leland Bush, a private practice lawyer, to the other Fifth District seat left open by the retirement of Judge George Marshall.

Baskfield's appointment fills a spot left by Judge Terry Dempsey, who is required by law to retire at the end of February.

Dempsey, who was present at the announcement, received a thank-you from the governor for his service.

"Fortunately, the three candidates from Watonwan were outstanding," said Dempsey after the speeches ended. "The governor had a tough choice."

In deciding on Dempsey's successor, Ventura and the commission also considered Madelia City Attorney Bruce Young and Michael Kircher, an attorney and partner with a firm in St. James.

Baskfield, 40, is an assistant Fifth District public defender in Madelia. She began that position in 1999 after six years as an assistant city attorney in Minneapolis, three of which she was legal advisor to the Minneapolis Police Department. She was an attorney with a Minneapolis law firm for one year prior to her career with the city. She received her law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in 1991.

When asked if she expected the nomination, Baskfield said, "I wouldn't have applied if I didn't think I had a chance, but the other men were so qualified, I think the governor had a hard choice."

Baskfield said she has about 60 open court cases to get reassigned to different lawyers before she can start her new job.

John Hultquist, judicial appointments coordinator for the governor's commission, said Baskfield will set her own swearing-in date, but can't start any earlier than March 1.

Baskfield said she plans to consult with judges John Rodenberg and Bruce Gross for some advice before she starts. She said her chief duty will be to keep everything on schedule and make sure the courts "are the people. They belong to the state of Minnesota. They're not mine."

Leland Bush was chosen over Cecil Naatz, the managing attorney for the Fifth District's public defender's office and Brown County Attorney James Olson, who twice previously had been a finalist for a judgeship.

Although Olson was not selected, "I think he should take that positively. Obviously, he is well-regarded," said Barb Runchey, a Fifth Judicial District member on the Commission of Judicial Selection.

Ventura said he chose Bush because of his close attention to detail.

"Lee has been one of the busiest lawyers not just in southwestern Minnesota, but in the whole state for 25 years," Ventura said. "In addition, he is very detail-oriented, a quality that will serve him well as a judge."

Bush has been in private practice in Tyler since 1979. He also served as city attorney for several cities in the Tyler area. Bush received his law degree from the University of Minnesota in 1976.

"I see this as a wonderful challenge," Bush said Thursday morning.

Hultquist said Bush won't have the same luxury as Baskfield; he can't start until Marshall formally steps down on April 1. Dempsey's last official court action is Feb. 28.

Judge Terry Stoneburner of the Minnesota Court of Appeals attended the governor's announcement in St. James. Stoneburner was named to the court in 2000 after serving for about 10 years as a Fifth District judge in New Ulm. She said the nominations of Baskfield and Bush demonstrate a commitment to Minnesota's state courts.

"The governor gets high marks on all of his judicial appointments," Stoneburner said.

Editor's note: Information from The Independent of Marshall was used in this story.