Our Board of Directors
There are twelve members of CDSI's Board of Directors. They include: Gary Bastian, Cliff Berg, Eileen Bergmann, Shawn Betts, Mark Biglow, Terrance Hendricks, Brockton Hunter, Jack Rice, John Sadowski, Margaret Samec and Hon. Judith Tilsen.
Gary W. Bastian, Attorney at Law
Gary W. Bastian is a former judge, attorney, and community member. He was appointed to the Ramsey County Bench in November of 1997. He was elected in 2000, 2006 and 2012. His retired in 2018 after serving on the bench in Ramsey County in all three divisions: Criminal, Family and Civil. 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 1998.
Clifford C. Berg, Attorney at Law
Cliff is employed as an Assistant City Attorney with the City of St. Paul for several years focusing on criminal prosecutions.
Eileen Bergman, Attorney at Law
Eileen has been an attorney since 1987. She graduated cum laude with from William Mitchell College of Law. She obtained her B.A. in philosophy and political science from the University of Minnesota in 1984. She practices law with the Biglow Family Law Offices in Minneapolis, MN and her private practice includes Criminal Defense, Civil Litigation, Real Estate and Probate law. In addition to being a board member of Criminal Defense Services, Eileen is also a member of the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Ramsey County Family Violence Coordinating Council.
Shawn Betts, Attorney at Law
Shawn Betts has been practicing law for 23 years, handling all levels of criminal cases. He is a current member of the Minnesota State Bar, the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Ramsey Co. Bar Association & the Washington Co. Bar Association. His legal experience includes being the Administrator of the Washington County Criminal Defense Panel, a founding member of the Dakota County Defense Panel, as well as serving as an attorney and Board of Directors Member with Criminal Defense Services, Inc. Shawn has also worked as a Prosecutor for the cities of Maplewood and White Bear Lake and been the presenter for several Expungement Clinics and CLE's.
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 son Douglas. Mark is a general practitioner whose professional practice includes both civil and criminal law.
The Honorable Sara R. Grewing
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. He has a special interest in veterans' issues and has been instrumental in setting up a Veterans Court in Ramsey County.
Jack Rice, Attorney at Law
Jack is really a storyteller and everything else rolls out from there. As a writer, it’s what he does. As a trial lawyer, it’s his most important tool. As a former CIA officer, the only way to truly motivate people is to connect and to tell them a story that they can feel viscerally. As a media analyst, what better way to make a point. In the end, he tries to captivate his audience about the world as much as he himself is captivated.
John Sadowski, Attorney at Law
John Sadowski is an Assistant Public Defender in the Second Judicial District (Ramsey County) where he has served indigent clients accused of crimes for nearly ten years. In that capacity he has represented individuals in all types of criminal cases ranging from murder to simple driving cases. Mr. Sadowski has extensive trial experience and has also worked closely with the specialty courts, most notably Adult Substance Abuse Court. Prior to his work in the public defender’s office, Mr. Sadowski was a judicial law clerk, serving the judges of the Second Judicial District (Ramsey County). In 2014, Mr. Sadowski conducted a comparative study of criminal and civil law in Porto Alegre and Bage, Brazil as a Legislative Fellow through the Partners of the Americas, a program run by the U.S. State Department. Mr. Sadowski has served as a volunteer baseball coach for the last several years for the Highland-Groveland Recreation Association and Highland Ball.
Maggie Samec, Attorney at Law
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.
The Honorable Paul P. Yang
2015 Copyright Criminal Defense Services, Inc.
There are twelve members of CDSI's Board of Directors. They include: Gary Bastian, Cliff Berg, Eileen Bergmann, Shawn Betts, Mark Biglow, Terrance Hendricks, Brockton Hunter, Jack Rice, John Sadowski, Margaret Samec and Hon. Judith Tilsen.
Gary W. Bastian, Attorney at Law
Gary W. Bastian is a former judge, attorney, and community member. He was appointed to the Ramsey County Bench in November of 1997. He was elected in 2000, 2006 and 2012. His retired in 2018 after serving on the bench in Ramsey County in all three divisions: Criminal, Family and Civil. 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 1998.
Clifford C. Berg, Attorney at Law
Cliff is employed as an Assistant City Attorney with the City of St. Paul for several years focusing on criminal prosecutions.
Eileen Bergman, Attorney at Law
Eileen has been an attorney since 1987. She graduated cum laude with from William Mitchell College of Law. She obtained her B.A. in philosophy and political science from the University of Minnesota in 1984. She practices law with the Biglow Family Law Offices in Minneapolis, MN and her private practice includes Criminal Defense, Civil Litigation, Real Estate and Probate law. In addition to being a board member of Criminal Defense Services, Eileen is also a member of the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Ramsey County Family Violence Coordinating Council.
Shawn Betts, Attorney at Law
Shawn Betts has been practicing law for 23 years, handling all levels of criminal cases. He is a current member of the Minnesota State Bar, the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Ramsey Co. Bar Association & the Washington Co. Bar Association. His legal experience includes being the Administrator of the Washington County Criminal Defense Panel, a founding member of the Dakota County Defense Panel, as well as serving as an attorney and Board of Directors Member with Criminal Defense Services, Inc. Shawn has also worked as a Prosecutor for the cities of Maplewood and White Bear Lake and been the presenter for several Expungement Clinics and CLE's.
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 son Douglas. Mark is a general practitioner whose professional practice includes both civil and criminal law.
The Honorable Sara R. Grewing
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. He has a special interest in veterans' issues and has been instrumental in setting up a Veterans Court in Ramsey County.
Jack Rice, Attorney at Law
Jack is really a storyteller and everything else rolls out from there. As a writer, it’s what he does. As a trial lawyer, it’s his most important tool. As a former CIA officer, the only way to truly motivate people is to connect and to tell them a story that they can feel viscerally. As a media analyst, what better way to make a point. In the end, he tries to captivate his audience about the world as much as he himself is captivated.
John Sadowski, Attorney at Law
John Sadowski is an Assistant Public Defender in the Second Judicial District (Ramsey County) where he has served indigent clients accused of crimes for nearly ten years. In that capacity he has represented individuals in all types of criminal cases ranging from murder to simple driving cases. Mr. Sadowski has extensive trial experience and has also worked closely with the specialty courts, most notably Adult Substance Abuse Court. Prior to his work in the public defender’s office, Mr. Sadowski was a judicial law clerk, serving the judges of the Second Judicial District (Ramsey County). In 2014, Mr. Sadowski conducted a comparative study of criminal and civil law in Porto Alegre and Bage, Brazil as a Legislative Fellow through the Partners of the Americas, a program run by the U.S. State Department. Mr. Sadowski has served as a volunteer baseball coach for the last several years for the Highland-Groveland Recreation Association and Highland Ball.
Maggie Samec, Attorney at Law
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.
The Honorable Paul P. Yang
2015 Copyright Criminal Defense Services, Inc.