The Commission on Judicial Selection announced today it is recommending three candidates to Governor Mark Dayton for consideration to fill the current vacancy in Minnesota's Ninth Judicial District. This vacancy was created upon the resignation of the Honorable Donald J. Aandal. This district court judgeship will be chambered at Warren in Marshall County in the Ninth Judicial District.

Corey Harbott: Mr. Harbott is an Assistant Public Defender in Minnesota's Ninth Judicial District, where his caseload primarily consists of adult gross misdemeanor and felony matters. Previously, Mr. Harbott served as a Judicial Law Clerk in Minnesota's Ninth Judicial District. Mr. Harbott volunteers as a coach with Crookston Park and Rec Baseball and as a Sunday school teacher with Trinity Lutheran Church.

Eric Schieferdecker: Mr. Schieferdecker is an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Minnesota, primarily prosecuting murder, drug, and implied consent cases in the Seventh and Ninth Judicial Districts. Previously, he was the Chief Assistant Beltrami County Attorney. Mr. Schieferdecker is a Students First Mentor at Bemidji Middle School and is a board member and vice-chair of Support Within Reach, a sexual violence resource center serving Aitkin, Beltrami, Cass, Hubbard, and Itasca Counties.

Gregory Widseth: Mr. Widseth is the Polk County Attorney, serving as the primary legal advisor for Polk County while maintaining a full criminal caseload. Previously, Mr. Widseth was a partner at Odland, Fitzgerald, Reynolds, Remick and Widseth, P.L.L.P., where his practice included criminal prosecution, civil litigation, and personal injury cases. Mr. Widseth is a member of the Polk County Coordinated Victim Services Advisory Board, a Crookston Youth Basketball coach, and the vice-chair of the Scholastic Book Fair.

Minnesota's Ninth Judicial District consists of Aitkin, Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Itasca, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, and Roseau Counties.

An announcement of the appointment will be made following an interview process over the next few weeks.