FOLEY (WJON News) - Karl Schmidt has been announced as the next Seventh District Court Judge, replacing the Honorable Michael Jesse at the Benton County Courthouse in Foley.

Schmidt is the current Benton County Attorney and has served as a public defender in the Seventh District and was a judicial law clerk in the Eighth Judicial District.

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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz made the announcement Friday afternoon.

Karl Schmidt will be a great addition to the Seventh Judicial District. He has been a steady hand and a leader in Benton County for decades, which gives me the confidence that he will administer justice fairly with the community’s best interest in mind.

Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District encompasses Becker, Benton, Clay, Douglas, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Otter Tail, Stearns, Todd, and Wadena.

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