Walz Appoints Vicky Wanta to District Court
Gov. Tim Walz named the St. Louis County prosecutor to fill a Sixth Judicial District judgeship vacated by Judge Leslie E. Beiers.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in People
Gov. Tim Walz appointed Vicky Wanta as a district court judge in Minnesota's Sixth Judicial District, filling the vacancy left by the retirement of Judge Leslie E. Beiers. Wanta was selected from three St. Louis County attorneys recommended by the Commission on Judicial Selection.
Why it matters
The appointment fills a seat on a district court that covers Carlton, Cook, Lake and St. Louis counties, shaping who presides over cases across a large part of northeastern Minnesota. Judicial appointments made by the governor determine the composition of the bench for years to come.
The Commission on Judicial Selection forwarded three St. Louis County attorneys for the vacancy, and Walz selected Vicky Wanta from that group. The Sixth Judicial District spans four counties, and the extraction does not specify when Wanta's term begins.
The players
Vicky Wanta
A St. Louis County prosecutor and special assistant U.S. attorney who was appointed as a Sixth Judicial District judge.
Tim Walz
The governor of Minnesota who made the appointment from a commission-recommended shortlist.
Leslie E. Beiers
The Sixth Judicial District judge whose retirement created the vacancy Wanta fills.
The details
Wanta is an assistant St. Louis County attorney who prosecutes serious felony cases in the Adult Criminal Division and has served on the county's Mental Health Court and Drug Court teams. She also works as a special assistant U.S. attorney and teaches in the law enforcement program at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, holding a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and a law degree from the University of St. Thomas School of Law.
Timeline
Nov. 5, 2026: Article reporting Wanta's appointment published.
Industry Dynamics
The appointment follows Minnesota's established process, in which the Commission on Judicial Selection recommends candidates and the governor selects one for a district court vacancy. Filling the Sixth Judicial District seat keeps the four-county bench staffed after Judge Beiers' retirement.
Residents of Carlton, Cook, Lake and St. Louis counties will have a new district court judge presiding over cases in the Sixth Judicial District. Wanta's experience prosecuting felony and mental health and drug court matters bears directly on the criminal cases that come before that bench.
The takeaway
A new judge's background in felony prosecution and specialty courts signals how the Sixth Judicial District's bench is being staffed. Readers following local criminal cases can track how appointments reshape court practice over time.
Further reading
Explore more People coverage tied to the Duluth judicial bench.
