Posted: Friday, June 10, 2011

Today, Governor Mark Dayton announced the appointment of Ms. Arlene M. Asencio Perkkio as District Court Judge in Minnesota’s First Judicial District.  Ms. Perkkio will be replacing  The Honorable Robert F. Carolan, who retired earlier this year.  

Ms. Perkkio is currently an attorney in private practice, focusing on criminal defense work at both the state and federal level.  She has appeared in 31 Minnesota counties, as well as in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.  Much of her practice focuses on immigration consequences for non-citizen clients; she has also taught classes on that subject matter at William Mitchell College of Law.  Ms. Perkkio has also appeared in Guardianship/Probate Court and in Civil Commitment Court in Ramsey County.  She earned her B.S. in Political Science from Macalester College in 1987, and her J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law in 1991.    

Additionally, Ms. Perkkio has served on a number of boards, including La Clinica and Criminal Defense Services, both in St. Paul.  She is currently serving as a board member of the St. Thomas More Society, and is a member of several professional organizations, including the Minnesota Public Defender DNA Institute, the National and Minnesota Associations of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Minnesota Society for Criminal Justice and Juris Divas.  Ms. Perkkio is an active member of her community, following the sports her children play (soccer and hockey), volunteering her time in area schools and her church.

About the appointment, Governor Dayton said, “I am very pleased to announce my appointment of Ms. Arlene Perkkio to the First Judicial District.  She is a supremely well-qualified attorney, who brings a wealth of courtroom experience to the First Judicial District Court.  She has demonstrated a commitment to community service, and she is able to relate to individuals coming from diverse backgrounds, which will serve her well as judge.”

Ms. Perkkio resides with her family in Mendota Heights.  Minnesota’s First Judicial District which covers Carver, Dakota, Goodhue, LeSueur, McLeod, Scott and Sibley counties.

More information on Governor Dayton’s Judicial Selection Committee, as well as vacancies it is currently considering, can be found at http://mn.gov/governor/appointments/judicial-appointments/