About Us

Our Board of Directors

There are twelve members of CDSI's Board of Directors. They include:

Shawn Betts, Attorney at Law

Shawn is an attorney in private practice focusing primarily on Criminal Law Defense. He also serves on CDSI's panel of attorneys.

Mark Biglow, Attorney at Law

Mark has been an attorney since 1982 when he received his law degree cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law. He obtained his B.A. degree summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 1978. Five members of the Biglow family practice law together with the Biglow Family Law Office in Minneapolis, Minnesota, including Mark, his brothers Mike and John, sister Eileen and his father Robert. Mark is a general practitioner whose professional practice includes both civil and criminal law.

Maggie Samec

Maggie is a member of the Prosecution Division of the office of the Ramsey County Attorney. She graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Hon. Gary Bastian, District Court Judge, Second Judicial District

Judge Bastian was appointed to the Bench in 1997 by Governor Arne Carlson. He was elected in 2000 and 2006. His current term expires January 2013. Judge Bastian is co-presiding judge over DWI. He obtained his J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law in 1974, and his B.S. in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin at River Falls in 1970. He has served on the CDSI Board of Directors since 1999. Among other things, Judge Bastian was Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Mayor of the City of Maplewood and an attorney in private practice prior to becoming a judge.

Brockton "Brock" D. Hunter, Attorney at Law

Brock has been an attorney since his graduation cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, Minnesota with a J.D. in 1997. He obtained his B.S. degree summa cum laude in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota in 1994. Since his admission to the bar in 1998, Brock has been an attorney in private practice. For the past eight years, Brock has focused on criminal defense with 100% of his practice devoted to litigation. Brock was named a "2006 Rising Star" in the area of criminal defense by Minnesota Law & Politics magazine.

Mark Novak, Attorney at Law

Mark is a criminal defense lawyer with a solo practice, Novak Law Office, in Fridley, Minnesota. He was originally admitted to the Minnesota bar in October of 2000.

Hon. John Guthmann, District Court Judge, Second Judicial District

Judge Guthmann was originally appointed to the bench in 2008 by Governor Tim Pawlenty. He was then elected to the bench in 2010. His current term will expire in 2017. Judge Guthmann has served on the CDSI Board of Directors since 2008. Prior to becoming a judge, Judge Guthmann was an attorney in private practice, practicing primarily in the area of civil practice for nearly 20 years. He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell College in 1976 and J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law in 1980.

John Riemer, Assistant Public Defender

John is a defense attorney with the Ramsey County Public Defender's Office, a position he has held for a number of years.

David Risk

David is a full-time qualified criminal defense attorney, licensed to practice law in the State of Minnesota.

David W. Shamla

Dave is a criminal defense attorney in private practice in the Twin Cities with the Shamla Law Office. David has served on the CDSI Board of Directors for the past several years.

Therese Skarda, Deputy City Attorney, City of Saint Paul

Therese is a Deputy City Attorney with the Saint Paul City Attorney's Office, a position she has held for the past several years.

Hon. Judith Tilsen, District Court Judge, Second Judicial District

Judge Tilsen has served on the Board of Directors of Criminal Defense Services, Inc. since 1999. Judge Tilsen was elected to the Ramsey County bench in 1998 and 2004. Her current term expires in 2011. She obtained her J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1989 and her B.S. from the University of Minnesota's College of Agriculture in 1980. Prior to becoming a judge, Judge Tilsen was an Assistant Attorney with the Hennepin County Attorney's Office and the Ramsey County Public Defender's Office.