Woodbury resident Clayton Robinson, Jr., a veteran prosecutor and former St. Paul City Attorney last week announced his candidacy to succeed retiring Washington County Attorney Doug Johnson.Robinson said: “During my 30-year legal career, I have gained extensive experience both as a hands-on prosecutor in the state’s most serious criminal cases and as the head of one of the state’s largest public law offices. I have always had a passion for justice and tremendous empathy for crime victims. It would be an honor to succeed a great public servant like Doug Johnson as county attorney.”
Washington County Attorney Johnson said: “The next Washington County Attorney must be a proven leader who can make difficult decisions that are just and fair. Clayton Robinson has these qualities and would make a great county attorney.” Johnson went on to say: “These are just a few of the many great qualities that have caused me to give my enthusiastic support to Clayton Robinson. I believe that he will serve the residents of Washington County very well.”
As an Assistant Ramsey County Attorney, Robinson prosecuted more than 130 felony jury trials. Robinson’s successful prosecutions have included numerous sexual assault, domestic abuse, child abuse, public corruption and murder cases.
Among his successful murder prosecutions was the 1987 trial of Lois Jurgens in which Robinson served as co-counsel. Jurgens was convicted of killing her adopted son, Dennis, 22 years earlier. The trial gained national attention and was recounted in the television movie “A Child Lost Forever” and the book A Death In White Bear Lake.
Robinson’s management experience includes 3½ years as St. Paul City Attorney where he led a 70-person legal staff, and provided legal representation to the mayor and city council. In 2002 Robinson returned to the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office to serve in his current management position as Assistant Director for Prosecutions.
As St. Paul City Attorney, Robinson worked in collaboration with Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner to create the Joint Domestic Prosecution Unit, in which both city and county attorneys jointly prosecute misdemeanor and felony-level domestic violence cases where minor children are present. “The Joint Domestic Prosecution Unit to this day remains a groundbreaking city and county partnership to aggressively prosecute domestic abusers and to protect the lives of victims of domestic abuse and their children,” Robinson said.
Robinson’s experience has included service as an Assistant Minnesota Attorney General and Adjunct Professor of Law at Hamline Law School. Robinson has also operated a private law firm and represented clients in various state and federal courts throughout the country.
Robinson is the son of a Chicago Police Department detective who was fatally shot in the line of duty when he was a teenager. Robinson said his father’s dedication instilled in him “the decision to devote my legal career to working in the public interest and in doing the right thing,” and inspired him to become a prosecutor.
“I am both humbled and honored to receive the support and endorsement of Washington County Attorney Doug Johnson,” Robinson said “I look forward to meeting as many residents of Washington County as I can in the coming months. I want to hear their concerns about crime and justice, and to tell them about my ideas for best serving them as their next county attorney.”
Insightnews.com