# John Choi *American lawyer and prosecutor; Ramsey County Attorney, Minnesota* John J. Choi is an American lawyer who has served as the [[Ramsey County Attorney]], the elected chief prosecutor of Ramsey County, [[Minnesota]], since January 2011.[^1] The project's research dossier records him as the first Korean American chief prosecutor in the United States. It also records his reelection in 2014, 2018 and 2022.[^1] Before he became [[county attorney]], he was Saint Paul City Attorney from 2006 to 2010, appointed by Mayor [[Christopher Coleman]].[^1][^2] Campaign-finance disclosures are on file for his County Attorney campaigns of 2011, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026.[^3] His office's documented outputs include several decisions:[^1] - **2021:** a charging policy, announced in September 2021, declining prosecutions that arise from non-public-safety traffic stops. - **2015:** criminal charges against the [[Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis]] as a corporate defendant. - **2016:** a manslaughter prosecution of St. Anthony officer [[Jeronimo Yanez]], which ended in acquittal. - **2026:** in January 2026, Choi and Sheriff Bob Fletcher announced criminal investigations into federal agents. As of April 17, 2026, no charges had been reported filed. ## Who Choi was born in Seoul in 1970 and moved to Saint Paul in 1973.[^1] He earned a J.D. from Hamline University School of Law in 1995. Hamline is a predecessor institution of Mitchell Hamline School of Law.[^1][^2] Mayor Christopher Coleman appointed Choi Saint Paul City Attorney in 2006, and Choi left that office in 2010.[^1] He took office as Ramsey County Attorney in January 2011.[^1] The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys records leadership and recognition for him.[^4] ## What ### 2021 charging policy On September 8, 2021, Choi announced that his office would decline to prosecute charges arising from two kinds of traffic enforcement:[^1] - non-public-safety stops; - consent-only vehicle searches. The office's stated justification was data showing that Black drivers in Ramsey County were four times more likely to be pulled over and nine times more likely to be searched.[^1] Outcomes measured as of June 2023:[^1] | Measure | Change | |---|---| | Non-public-safety stops | down 86 percent | | Searches | down 92 percent | | Stops of Black drivers | down 66 percent | | Public safety | no discernible impact | The policy drew public criticism. Brian Peters, executive director of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association (MPPOA), called it "a slap in the face to victims of crime."[^1] Fletcher, the Ramsey County [[sheriff]], initially called it "a mistake for the county attorney to make the decision as to what law enforcement should and should not do." He later partnered with the office.[^1] ### Prosecutions **Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.** On June 5, 2015, Choi charged the Archdiocese as a corporate defendant with failing to protect children.[^1] - The civil complaint was settled in December 2015. - The criminal charges were later dropped after the Archdiocese admitted wrongdoing. **Jeronimo Yanez.** The dossier dates the charge November 16, 2016 and the verdict June 16, 2017.[^1] - Choi's office charged Yanez with second-degree manslaughter in the killing of [[Philando Castile]]. - The case was heard in Ramsey County District Court, No. 62-CR-16-8110. - The jury acquitted Yanez on all counts. **Human trafficking.** On March 29, 2017, Choi and Washington County Attorney Pete Orput jointly announced charges in a multi-defendant human-trafficking enterprise.[^5] ### Investigations of federal agents (2026) On January 27–28, 2026, during the federal immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota, Choi and Fletcher announced criminal investigations into federal agents.[^1] - **Alleged offenses:** kidnapping, false imprisonment and aggravated assault. - **Protocol:** Choi issued a four-step protocol. - **Letters:** he wrote to county police chiefs and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) affirming local authority to investigate federal officers. These remain allegations. As of April 17, 2026, no charges were reported filed.[^1] ## When | Date | Event | |---|---| | 2006 | Appointed Saint Paul City Attorney by Mayor Coleman[^1][^2] | | 2010 | Leaves the City Attorney's office[^1] | | January 2011 | Takes office as Ramsey County Attorney[^1] | | June 5, 2015 | Charges the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis[^1] | | November 16, 2016 | Charges Jeronimo Yanez; acquittal recorded June 16, 2017[^1] | | March 29, 2017 | Joint human-trafficking charges announced with Washington County[^5] | | September 8, 2021 | Announces non-public-safety stop charging policy[^1] | | January 27–28, 2026 | Announces investigations into federal agents[^1] | ## How many **Election results.** In the 2022 election, Ballotpedia records 137,761 votes (97.7 percent) for County Attorney Choi and 136,429 votes (96.4 percent) for Sheriff Fletcher.[^6] The research dossier gives the same 97.7 percent for 2022 and describes Choi as effectively unopposed. It records 78.4 percent for 2018.[^1] **Campaign filings.** Campaign-finance disclosures are on file for five County Attorney campaigns, in 2011, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026.[^3] ## In the at-issue record At-issue pair AI-Ramsey-018 (package: Ramsey) concerns Christopher Coleman. A joint staff report names him as the mayor who accepted the arrangement in the *Magner* matter, and he is the same mayor who appointed Choi Saint Paul City Attorney in 2006.[^1][^7] The withdrawal in *Magner* was executed in February 2012, under Choi's successor as City Attorney, Sara Grewing.[^1] Choi had left the office in 2010. The pair is anchored to a May 2026 presidential action. Its stated principle is that "continuity of office is the unit of analysis, not continuity of person."[^7] The record does not place Choi in the *Magner* negotiations. The pair records the appointment and the withdrawal as falling within the same mayoral administration: a proximity fact, not an allegation.[^1] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - John J. Choi, Ramsey County Attorney since January 2011; Saint Paul City Attorney, 2006–2010.[^1] ### When - Campaign-finance disclosures for County Attorney campaigns: 2011, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026.[^3] ## Notes [^1]: Minnesota wiki research file, *Warren E. Burger Apex Dossier* (2026-09-02), §VIII (validated; its underlying source notes [40]–[49] are not carried in the pack) — records Choi's birth, education, City Attorney appointment, county tenure, election percentages, the 2021 charging policy and outcomes, the Archdiocese and Yanez prosecutions, the 2026 investigations and their status, and the *Magner* proximity note. [^2]: Mitchell Hamline School of Law, *John J. Choi biography* (undated) — institutional biography and law-school credentials. https://mitchellhamline.edu/biographies/?person=john-j-choi [^3]: Minnesota campaign-finance disclosure portal, *Campaign finance disclosures: John Choi for County Attorney* (2011, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026) — filings for each County Attorney campaign. https://www.pec.state.mn.us/ [^4]: Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, *John Choi — Leadership and Recognition* (undated) — professional recognition record. https://www.prosecution.org/ [^5]: Ramsey County Attorney's Office, *Joint prosecution of human trafficking case* (press conference, March 29, 2017) — joint announcement by Choi and Washington County Attorney Pete Orput of charges in a multi-defendant human-trafficking enterprise. https://www.ramseycountymn.gov/your-government/leadership/county-attorneys-office/news-updates/press-conferences/joint-prosecution-human-trafficking-case [^6]: Ballotpedia, *Bob Fletcher* (accessed 2026) — 2022 results: Sheriff Fletcher 136,429 votes (96.4%); County Attorney Choi 137,761 votes (97.7%). https://ballotpedia.org/Bob_Fletcher [^7]: The White House, *Restoring Integrity to America's Financial System* (presidential action, May 2026) — the anchor document for at-issue pair AI-Ramsey-018; it does not itself name Choi. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/05/restoring-integrity-to-americas-financial-system/