19-04-2025
Walz appoints Kelly Staples as new Dakota County judge
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has appointed Kelly Staples as a Dakota County District Court judge to fill a vacancy in the First Judicial District.
Staples will replace Judge David L. Knutson and will be chambered in Hastings.
'It is my privilege to appoint Kelly Staples to the Dakota County bench,' Walz said in a press release Friday. 'Her wealth of family law experience, coupled with her ability to help clients navigate their most challenging moments, gives me the confidence that she will be a great judge.'
Minnesota's First Judicial District consists of Carver, Dakota, Goodhue, Le Sueur, McLeod, Scott and Sibley counties.
Staples is a court-appointed counsel in paternity, child support and civil commitment matters and a volunteer conciliation court referee in Dakota County.
In addition, she has a private family law practice in West St. Paul focusing on child custody and domestic abuse cases. She also serves on the board of directors for legal Assistance of Dakota County, judges high school mock trials, volunteers at legal self-help clinics through 360 Communities, and supports her children's many activities, the press release said.
Staples is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and William Mitchell College of Law.
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