Judge Mark Wernick

Hennepin County
District Court




SERVICE TO THE LEGAL PROFESSION


1985 – Judge Mark Wernick was certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy as a Criminal Trial Specialist.

1991-1993 – Judge Mark Wernick co-chaired the Criminal Law Section of the Hennepin County Bar Association. His primary responsibility was to organize continuing legal education programs.

1996-1997 – Judge Mark Wernick chaired the Criminal Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association. Again, his primary responsibility was to organize continuing legal education programs. In addition, Judge Wernick represented the Section before the Minnesota State Bar Association’s House of Delegates and Board of Governors during debates on whether cameras should be allowed in court and whether the state constitutional right to bail should be repealed.

1996-2002 – Judge Mark Wernick served on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. In 2000, Judge Wernick was elected President of the organization. As a Board member and President, Judge Wernick represented the organization in the following ways:

• Participated in the Minnesota Supreme Court Jury Task Force proceedings to develop best practices for jury selection in civil and criminal trials;

• Participated in the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission Drug Policy Subcommittee proceedings to reconsider sentencing guidelines applicable to drug cases;

• Testified before the Minnesota Senate and House Crime Prevention Committees on topics such as bail, forfeiture, and funding appeals for indigent criminal defendants;

• Co-authored a brief and argued before the Minnesota Supreme Court on the issue of order of final argument in criminal trials.

2002 to present – Since his appointment to the Hennepin County bench, Judge Mark Wernick continues to be a member of the Criminal Law Sections of the Hennepin County and Minnesota State Bar Associations. Judge Wernick is also a member of the Family Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association.