Governor Tim Walz announced the appointment of Jeremy Blackwelder and Aaron Zurek as District Court Judges in Minnesota's Fifth Judicial District.

Blackwelder will replace the late Honorable Tricia B. Zimmer, and Zurek will replace the Honorable Gregory J. Anderson. One seat will be chambered in Ivanhoe in Lincoln County and Marshall in Lyon County, and the other seat will be chambered in Mankato in Blue Earth County.

"Jeremy Blackwelder will bring a unique perspective to the bench," Walz said. "His experience as both a public defender and police officer gives him a deep appreciation for protecting individual rights while understanding the responsibilities of law enforcement. That experience and credibility will show up in how he serves."

"Aaron Zurek is not only a brilliant legal mind, but an impactful leader who knows how to navigate the system to advance justice," Walz said. "As the Chief Public Defender of the Fifth Judicial District, he had a bird's-eye view of the justice system and the people it serves. As an attorney and a person of remarkable integrity and compassion, he will make sure everyone who sets foot in his courtroom feels seen, heard, and treated with dignity."

Blackwelder is an assistant public defender in the Fifth Judicial District Public Defender's Office. He was previously an attorney at Holmstrom, Kvam, & Blackwelder, PLLP, handling criminal, family, civil, estate planning, real estate, and municipal matters. He also served as city attorney for Granite Falls and Maynard and as a police officer with the Upper Sioux Community. He earned his J.D. from Hamline University School of Law.

Zurek is chief public defender of the Fifth Judicial District, overseeing public-defense services across 15 southwestern Minnesota counties. He previously served as managing attorney and assistant public defender in the district's Mankato office, as a staff attorney in the State Court Administrator's Office, and as a judicial law clerk in the Fifth Judicial District. He earned his J.D. from Hamline University School of Law.

The Fifth Judicial District consists of 15 counties in southwest Minnesota: Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock, and Watonwan.