DULUTH, Minn.– History was made in the Northland as the first Black judge for Minnesota’s Sixth Judicial District was sworn in Friday afternoon.
The Sixth Judicial District includes Carlton, Cook, Lake, and St. Louis counties. Now Judge Shawn Pearson fills the bench as the first person of color assuming the role and replacing Judge Shaun Floerke, who filled the seat for 30 years.
Pearson took his oath at the St. Louis County Court House in Duluth Friday afternoon. Some of his previous work includes representing parents in child protections matters and volunteering as an attorney for the children’s law center in Minnesota. He also sits on the board of the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial.
Pearson says he wants his swearing in as the first Black judge to show the strides the court is making in representing all populations in the area.
“With my appointment, I hope that this community will see that change is not only possible but it is happening right now,” said Pearson. “The people who have joined me at this podium today reflect that change.”
Pearson says a commitment to diversity should bring representation to all levels including the courts. Now as a judge, he hopes to make sure the legal system protects communities of different backgrounds from the problems he says they face in the country.
“My commitment to upholding the law and stare decisis and the law is hard wired into my being because I believe in the promise of democracy. Rather, i highlight the need for increased representation as a warning bell against a choir of concerns that have confronted our nation,” he said.
Previous Judge Shaun Floerke stepped down in December to become president of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation.
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