ST. PAUL, MN – Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan today announced the appointments of Sarah Hudleston and Matthew Frank as district court judges in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District. The seats will be chambered in Minneapolis in Hennepin County.

Hudleston will be replacing the Honorable M. Jacqueline Regis.

“It is my honor to appoint Sarah Hudleston to the Fourth Judicial District,” said Governor Walz. “She is an exceptional attorney who will work hard to ensure that our justice system strives to be the best that it can be.”

“I applaud the appointment of Sarah Hudleston ,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “She understands and appreciates that all cases are unique, and justice should never be a one-size-fits-all approach. Her heart and lived experience will serve all those who enter her courtroom.”

Frank will be replacing the Honorable Nicole A. Engisch.

“It is also my honor to appoint Matthew Frank to the Hennepin County bench,” said Governor Walz. “He will be a remarkable judge who will approach this position with the understanding that justice is a process, not a result.”

“Matthew Frank is a dedicated public servant who has committed his career to delivering justice for the people of Minnesota,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “His wide-ranging experience and calming leadership in challenging moments will make him an excellent judge.”

Sarah Hudleston is an assistant United States attorney in the Violent and Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota. In this role, she prosecutes a range of felonies, including child exploitation, bank fraud, kidnapping, armed robbery, firearms, narcotics, and government program fraud offenses. Hudleston was previously a law clerk to the Honorable Ann D. Montgomery and an attorney at Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi and Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson. Her community involvement includes serving as a volunteer for the U.S. District Court’s Open Doors program, a mentor for students in the University of St. Thomas School of Law Mentor Externship Program, a volunteer with the Innocence Project, and a former board member of the Volunteer Lawyers Network. Hudleston is a two-time recipient of Tubman’s Attorney of the Year Award for her pro bono representation of domestic violence victims and indigent family law clients. She earned her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Matthew Frank is the managing attorney of the Criminal Division at the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General, where he supervises a team of attorneys who handle criminal prosecutions, criminal appeals, civil commitments, civil matters regarding the predatory offender registration statute, and community notification risk level appeals. He previously worked as an assistant county attorney in the Wright County Attorney’s Office, an assistant public defender in the Tenth Judicial District Public Defender’s Office, an attorney in the Taylor Law Firm, and a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Allen Oleisky of the Fourth Judicial District. Frank’s community involvement includes serving on the Minnesota Supreme Court Advisory Committees on the Rules of Criminal Procedure and the Special Rules of Procedure Governing Proceedings under the Minnesota Commitment and Treatment Acts, the Minnesota County Attorneys Association Appellate Committee, and the Minnesota Child Mortality Review Panel. He has also volunteered as a brief and oral argument judge for the William E. McGee National Civil Rights Moot Court Competition. He earned his B.S. from University of Wisconsin - Madison and J.D. from Hamline University School of Law.