John Choi (attorney)

John Choi
Choi in 2010
Ramsey County Attorney
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 2011
Preceded bySusan Gaertner
Saint Paul City Attorney
In office
January 2006 – April 5, 2010
Appointed byChris Coleman
Preceded byManuel Cervantes
Succeeded bySara Grewing
Personal details
Born
Seoul, South Korea
PartyDFL
Alma materMarquette University (BA)
Hamline University (JD)

John Choi is an American attorney and politician who has served as county attorney of Ramsey County, Minnesota, since 2011. He previously served as Saint Paul city attorney from 2006 to 2010. Born in South Korea, Choi is the first Korean American chief prosecutor in the United States. His tenure has included prosecutions and progressive policy initiatives related to sex trafficking, juvenile diversion, cash bail, and traffic stops. Choi was first elected in 2010, and has been reelected in 2014, 2018, and 2022.

Early life and career

Choi was born in Seoul, South Korea, and moved to Saint Paul, Minnesota, with his parents in 1973, when he was three years old. His family lived for a time in Skyline Tower in Saint Paul. Choi graduated from Saint Thomas Academy and earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Marquette University in 1992. He received a J.D. from Hamline University School of Law in 1995 and later was a Humphrey Fellow at the University of Minnesota. While attending law school, he worked on the mayoral campaign of Saint Paul City Council member Bob Long.[1][2][3]

After graduation, Choi worked as an associate attorney at Hessian, McKasy & Soderberg, where his practice focused on commercial litigation. He later joined Kennedy & Graven, a Minnesota firm that advises local governments, and became a partner there after three years. In 2006, Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman appointed Choi as city attorney.[3][4][5]

Tenure as county attorney

2010 election

In 2010, Choi stepped down as city attorney to run for Ramsey County Attorney, an office vacated by the retiring Susan Gaertner.[6] He received the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party's endorsement and the endorsement of the Minnesota Star Tribune, winning the August primary.[7][8]

Choi ultimately prevailed over David T. Schultz in the November general election by 7 points.[9]

Notable cases

During his tenure, Choi’s office brought charges in several high-profile cases. In 2015, his office charged the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis with failing to protect children from sexual abuse.[10][11]

In 2016, after the police shooting of Philando Castile, Choi appointed an outside attorney to assist reviewing the case, later charging St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez with second-degree manslaughter and two felony counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm. Yanez was acquitted in 2017.[12][13][14]

Policy and reform efforts

Choi has supported changes to local prosecution and pretrial practices. His office reduced its reliance on cash bail and, in 2021, announced that it would generally decline to prosecute cases arising only from non-public-safety traffic stops, such as stops for equipment violations. In 2023, Choi and Saint Paul officials said that ending low-level traffic stops had not led to an increase in crime in the county.[15][16]

Choi has supported efforts to improve institutional responses to sexual assault, including training for law enforcement and prosecutors and promoting victim-centered practices. His office has been active in anti-sex trafficking initiatives, including a statewide effort among prosecutors to avoid charging minors for prostitution and to instead treat them as victims.[17][18]

In juvenile cases, Choi’s office developed the (Re)Imagining Justice for Youth initiative, which uses community-based accountability and diversion for some young people accused of offenses. A 2026 report described lower 12-month recidivism among youth whose cases were resolved through community accountability than among youth whose cases proceeded through traditional court processes.[19][20]

References

  1. ↑ Coolican, J. Patrick (2026-02-26). "Ramsey County Attorney John Choi's reform work could be a model for all of Minnesota". Minnesota Reformer. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  2. ↑ Howe, Sherry (January 11, 2011). "The Role of the Ramsey County Attorney". Saint Paul Rotary Club. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  3. 1 2 Dahl, Dick (December 18, 2017). "John Choi '95: a desire to serve". Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  4. ↑ Xiong, Chao (June 14, 2015). "Ramsey attorney John Choi persistent, patient in pursuing charges against archdiocese". The Star Tribune. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  5. ↑ Vickery, Martha (July 15, 2009). "John Choi seeks next challenge: A bid for Ramsey County Attorney". Twin Cities Daily Planet. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  6. ↑ Scheck, Tom (2009-05-17). "Choi takes steps to run for Ramsey County Attorney". MPR News. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  7. ↑ "Editorial: New leadership for Ramsey County". 2010-10-20. Archived from the original on 2025-06-15. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  8. ↑ Gurnon, Emily (August 29, 2010). "Ramsey County attorney race takes bitter turn". Twin Cities Pioneer Press. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  9. ↑ Lore, Michelle (November 3, 2010). "Choi is the choice for Ramsey County Attorney". MinnesotaLawyer.
  10. ↑ "Twin Cities archdiocese criminally charged in priest child abuse case". MPR News. 2015-06-05. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  11. ↑ Smith, Mitch (June 5, 2015). "Catholic Archdiocese in Minnesota Charged Over Sex Abuse by Priest". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  12. ↑ MPR News Staff (2016-07-29). "Choi names outside attorney to aid in Castile police shooting case". MPR News. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  13. ↑ McCarthy, Ciara (November 16, 2016). "Philando Castile: police officer charged with manslaughter over shooting death". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  14. ↑ Berman, Mark (17 June 2017). "Minn. officer acquitted in shooting of Philando Castile during traffic stop, dismissed from police force". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  15. ↑ Ansari, Hibah; Simonton, Anna (2022-01-11). "'We can't be a rubber stamp to what the police want': Ramsey County attorney takes a new approach to criminal justice". Sahan Journal. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  16. ↑ MPR News Staff (2023-06-07). "Choi: Ending low-level traffic stops hasn't led to more crime in Ramsey Co". MPR News. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  17. ↑ Jackson, Kyeland (2023-04-25). "Ramsey County Attorney John Choi honored for work advocating for sexual assault victims". www.startribune.com. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  18. ↑ "Combatting Sex Trafficking". Ramsey County. 2015-10-20. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  19. ↑ Crann, Tom; Burks, Megan (2023-05-12). "Ramsey Co. Attorney on his office's progress 'reimagining juvenile justice'". MPR News. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  20. ↑ Coolican, J.Patrick (February 17, 2026). "Data show Ramsey County succeeding with alternative juvenile justice approach • Minnesota Reformer". Minnesota Reformer. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
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