Michael Berger appointed as Hennepin County chief public defender

Michael Berger has been named as the next chief public defender of Hennepin County, according to an email from the Minnesota Board of Public Defense sent Thursday afternoon.

The University of South Dakota School of Law graduate has worked for the 10th Judicial District’s Public Defender Office since 2007, first as an assistant public defender. He’s been a managing attorney for the past nine years, the Board of Public Defense said.

Berger also served 10 years in the U.S. Army Reserve.

When Berger assumes his new position on June 1, he will fill a vacancy left by former Chief Public Defender Kassius Benson, who resigned last fall “for personal reasons that had the potential to cause a distraction.”

The IRS had filed a warrant in January 2022 to investigate Benson’s private law firm for alleged tax fraud. Two months ago, a federal grand jury indicted Benson on charges of failing to pay employment taxes from his private law firm and aiding and assisting in preparing fraudulent tax returns.

On Oct. 15, just two days before he submitted his resignation, Benson was arrested in Wayzata on suspicion of driving drunk. His blood-alcohol content was 0.13 when he was pulled over.