Criminal Division Legal Assistants, Minnesota Attorney General’s Office

The mission of the Criminal Division of the Attorney General’s Office is to investigate and prosecute criminal cases when county attorneys refer them to the office. And that division does its job extraordinarily well, thanks in large part to its paralegals — Maria Benton, Amy von Feldt, Jacquelyn Knoll and Terri Yang — and Victim Witness Coordinator Nora Radtke.

This team has supported the division through countless cases, including back-to-back and overlapping trials. At various times, that has included discovery, exhibits and getting witnesses where they need to be — physically, and often emotionally.

“Currently each of the paralegals have between 10-15 active cases,” said Benton. “Some of them are cases that have been charged and are going through litigation. Some cases are referred to us prior to charging, which gives us an opportunity to collaborate with the county attorney and law enforcement.”

The four paralegals support prosecutors from the discovery stage through trial. That means organizing and coordinating case files, technology backup and technical support for the trial teams.

“We’re all a little different, not just in skill sets, but in how we handle our cases, communicate and problem solve,” said Yang. “We complement each other well because we bounce ideas off each other to see what works.”

In the last year alone, the team has pitched in on dozens of investigations and prosecutions and helped to secure more than a dozen convictions. And they don’t let the gritty nature of some of the cases keep them from showing compassion and empathy: When a case involving abused children went to trial, Radtke procured an emotional support dog to help the children get through their testimony.

“Establishing rapport means building trust,” said Radtke. “From the first phone call to the sentencing hearing, I tell victims it’s my job to provide them support, whatever that looks like for them. I want them to know I’ve got their backs no matter what.”