MEET JUDGE HILGERS
Respected - Tested - Trusted
JUDGE DeANNE HILGERS has been a resident of Ramsey County for more than 40 years, and a District Court Judge since 2017. She has presided over thousands of criminal and child protection proceedings in Ramsey County District Court, serving as chair of the Children's Justice Initiative for Ramsey County through the Covid pandemic. Judge Hilgers serves on committees to improve the judicial system, including the state's criminal jury instructions guide committee, and the district's Equal Justice Committee and Family Violence Coordinating Council.
Outside of the courthouse, Judge Hilgers is a member of The Circle of Peace Movement, a local organization dedicated to ending violence and promoting racial healing. She also serves as an adult leader for Scout Troop 7045.
Governor Mark Dayton appointed Judge Hilgers to the bench in 2017, and she earned more than 70 percent of voter approval in her 2018 election.
Prior to becoming a judge, she graduated magna cum laude from Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, and served as a law clerk to a district court judge and a Minnesota Supreme Court justice. Before being appointed to the Ramsey County District Court bench, Judge Hilgers was a partner at one of Minnesota's largest law firms.
JUDGE HILGERS IS RESPECTED. Judge Hilgers is a leader in her profession and her community. Media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, Star Tribune and Minnesota Public Radio have sought her insight on legal matters involving work-site enforcement. She was named a Rising Star in the legal field four times, a recognition given to only 2.5 percent of Minnesota lawyers. She served on the Minnesota Second Judicial District Ethics Committee for Ramsey County. She is past chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association -- Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter, and past chair of Redeemer's Arms (now Dale Street Place) in St. Paul, which provides supported housing for people with mental illness and chemical dependency. She served on the board of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota for six years, and on her law firm's public service and personnel committees.
JUDGE HILGERS IS TESTED. Judge Hilgers has broad legal experience. She has presided over thousands of criminal hearings and child protection matters in Ramsey County District Court. As an attorney, she litigated personal injury, construction and employment matters, and built a national law practice that helped small and midsize businesses with talent acquisition and worksite compliance. When a St. Paul company faced nearly $6 million in federal fines for paperwork errors, she negotiated a 94-percent reduction in the fine, which kept the company in business and preserved the jobs of more than 2,000 employees. She has fought for workers, and helped men and women tortured in their home countries to obtain political asylum in the United States. In her personal life, Judge Hilgers was a foster parent for several years. The experience has given her special understanding of the impact a court decision can have on children removed from their homes. Her experience, both professional and personal, makes her an effective and insightful judge.
JUDGE HILGERS IS TRUSTED. A host of respected legal professionals, community leaders, and Ramsey County residents have endorsed and are supporting Judge Hilgers.
Please join them and vote for Judge Hilgers on November 5.
