About John

Since being sworn in as Ramsey County Attorney in 2011, John has become a state and national leader in progressive justice reform, working with public officials and impacted communities to reimagine justice and the role of prosecutors. John’s innovative approach to holding abusers accountable, while working collaboratively with advocacy agencies to help victims, has transformed the way government intervenes in domestic violence and sex trafficking situations in Minnesota. He is currently working in collaboration with justice system partners to do the same for victims of sexual assault.  

 In addition, John has been a champion of raising boys and engaging men to prevent violence against women and girls; successfully advocated to reform state drug sentencing laws and reinvest savings in community-based solutions; and is transforming justice system responses to better address underlying causes of justice involvement, respond more restoratively to youth, give people second chances, and remove the scarlet letter of a conviction once people have rehabilitated and made amends for their mistakes.  

 John serves on the boards of the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Mitchell Hamline School of Law, is past president of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association and past trustee for the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota.