The White House announced Tuesday that President Obama has nominated Sharon Lubinski, Minneapolis’ Assistant Chief of Police, as the U.S. Marshal for the District of Minnesota. Lubinski is also one of the first – if not the first – openly gay person to be nominated for the position.
The U.S. Marshals Service is charged with protecting the 94 United States District Courts. Lubinski will be in charge of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota if approved by the U.S. Senate later this year.
Lubinski is openly lesbian and has served in law enforcement for more than 30 years and is one of the highest ranking LGBT members of law enforcement in the country.
If confirmed, Lubinski would also be the second female U.S. Marshal currently serving in that capacity and would be the 13th female Marshal in U.S. history.
President Obama praised Lubinski in a press release Tuesday afternoon. “Assistant Chief Lubinski has dedicated her career to the noble cause of protecting her fellow Americans. She has displayed exceptional courage in the pursuit of justice, and I am honored to nominate her today to continue her selfless work as a U.S. Marshal for the District of Minnesota.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar recommended Lubinksi earlier this summer. She wrote:
Sharon Lubinski’s mix of experience managing a large, urban police department and working in a more rural sheriff’s office sets her apart and makes her uniquely qualified to serve in this new role. During my eight years as Hennepin County Attorney, I had the opportunity to work with Sharon on an almost daily basis. I observed firsthand the strength of her leadership abilities and the respect she commands from people at every level of law enforcement and in the larger community.
According to her bio, Lubinski has served in the Minneapolis Police Department for 20 years and has held a command post for 10 years. She started her law enforcement career as a member of the force at the Dane County Sheriff’s Department in Madison, Wis., and she is a member of the faculty at Metropolitan State University School of Criminal Justice.
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