BACKGROUND

 

"I will my bring deeply-rooted values of integrity, hard-work, respect for all people and compassion to serve as Judge.  Integrity is critical to ensuring justice.  I am an independent voice with no personal or political agenda, and no special interest.  I will apply the rule of law fairly and impartially, and will treat everyone with respect and will work to advance our Court’s mission: To provide a system of Justice that assures equal access for the fair and timely resolution of cases and controversies."

 

Bev's well-balanced life experience, and depth and breadth of her legal, trial, and private practice experience uniquely qualifies her to be a district court Judge, and has earned her wide respect, endorsements and broad support across Hennepin County.  Having both an M.B.A. and J.D., enables her to understand complex and often multi-faceted matters involving a broad range of legal issues.  Her undergraduate degree in math and chemistry, and her information technology background, will also be assets to the bench.    

 

PERSONAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bev married Brad Aho, (now an Eden Prairie City Councilmember) when Brad was completing his BSEE degree at the U of M, and they were soon young parents with three kids.  Bev had worked her way through college, and continued to do so through graduate school and law school.  In the 1990's, Bev planned to enter the MBA/JD program at the University of Minnesota, but at that time her life took a new path for a few years.  One of their children (in second grade) had developed serious neurological symptoms, later diagnosed as Tourette's Syndrome.  Back in that day, neither a public- nor private-school setting could adequately accommodate their child's needs. With excellent counsel and encouragement from physicians at Mayo and Children's Hospital, Bev and Brad decided to teach at home. As a result, Bev entered the evening MBA program at the U, while teaching at home during the day and also working at the technology company she and Brad co-founded, Information Technology Solutions, Inc.  The flexibility of the home environment proved successful for all their kids.  In addition, Eden Prairie Schools and other civic, church and non-profit organizations were exceptional innovators for students who wanted to participate in a variety of educational opportunities.  Later, all three kids attended Eden Prairie High School for music and varsity sports.  All went on to college and post-graduate work. Amber graduated from residency in 2014 as a general surgeon, and had been passionate about medicine since childhood.  Austin graduated from Gustavus in economics/business, completed post-graduate studies in England, later taught at Beijing Union University in China, and is now a business consultant in St. Paul. Annie completed her Master's in broadcast journalism, and is the local TV CBS evening news anchor in the tri-cities area of Washington. Bev, after completing her MBA from the U, was able to finalize her goal of becoming an attorney and graduated from Hamline University School of Law, magna cum laude.  Bev continued to work through law school, employing others in Minnesota and meeting the demands of payroll, and was also honored to be on the Law Review, Moot Court and receive multiple CALI awards.  She has also volunteered extensively with families with disabled children and has tutored many students, with and without learning disabilities, in math and science.  As a result of these and other life experiences, Bev understands the unique challenges that individuals, families and small businesses in Minnesota face.   Bev will bring her compassion, impartiality, fairness and respect for all people to serve the residents of Hennepin County well.

 

LEGAL EXPERIENCE

 

Bev's complex trial and private sector experience in both district and federal courts, and appellate experience, is valuable and includes fraud, construction, real property, software, intellectual property, eminent domain, personal injury, corporate, violations of the Minnesota Human Rights Act (age discrimination, disability discrimination, reprisal), probate, estates, contracts, criminal, tax, family, and employment issues.  Approximately one third of Hennepin County's cases involve civil matters, and Bev's legal experience will prove very valuable as judge.  Beverly has also worked beside the esteemed and experienced Jim Gilbert (former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice) for many years, as co-counsel.  Beverly has had the privilege of representing individuals from all walks of life, typically against large entities, and has achieved tremendous results for her clients.  In a courtroom, when an individual faces a large entity with seemingly unlimited resources, it can feel daunting.  But Beverly's passion, drive, preparedness and professionalism have enabled her to work with her clients to obtain successful outcomes.   

 

Recent cases in 2014, include an eminent domain case where Beverly's clients were family members who had owned a small residence on the Mississippi River for three generations.  This property was very dear to them, and was being 'taken' via eminent domain by Dakota County.  The case received national media attention and Bev obtained a successful result for her client.  The judge in that case, was instrumental to helping resolve the conflict.  In June, Bev gave closing arguments before an 8-member jury who returned a unanimous award of nearly $1 Million for her client against his large employer regarding an employment dispute.  The case was very complex, and required numerous motions regarding discovery and other disputes for years, before a trial date was obtained.  In addition, this year Bev represented families regarding guardianship/conservatorship, probate disputes, bank loan restructuring for a client whose mortgage was upside-down, contract disputes and other matters.  Beverly is a well respected, passionate, ethical professional.  She truly desires to serve our residents.  As MN Supreme Court Justice (retired) James Gilbert has opined, "Beverly has the integrity, intellect, experience and strong work ethic to be an outstanding judge in Hennepin County."   

 

Upholding the constitutionally-mandated responsibilities of Judge, by applying the rule of law fairly and impartially, is Beverly's philosophy.  Beverly believes in and has been an advocate for Minnesota’s 100+ year tradition of our non-partisan judiciary, and will neither seek nor accept a partisan endorsement.  She will provide equal access to our judicial system.  Judges must be well-prepared, open-minded, good listeners and attentive to details.  Beverly is committed to justice and instilling confidence in our judicial system. 

 

Most of the judges in Hennepin County with experience similar to Bev's, have recently retired.  The majority of the judges now on our Court have outstanding criminal law and/or public sector experience.  But Bev is the only candidate for Seat 61 with her unique broad civil trial, private practice, legal, small business and real estate experience, and will be an asset to the bench.  As a current member of the litigation, business, and real estate and development practice groups for the James H. Gilbert Law Group, PLLC, Beverly’s insights and expertise have helped her tailor winning strategies across a broad range of legal matters for her clients, in both the boardroom and the courtroom.

 

Bev is a second-generation American, wife, mother, and well-respected attorney, business-woman and community volunteer.  She holds deeply-rooted values of hard work, integrity, community service and respect for all people.  Bev has been an active member of Hennepin County for more than 30 years and in each of the wonderful communities in which she has lived or worked, including Edina, Brooklyn Center, Bloomington, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Minneapolis and Eden Prairie (where they now reside), and also at the Lutheran church where she is a member.  

 

Bev has an undergraduate degree in Chemistry and Computational Mathematics from Albion College, where she also received varsity letters in two sports.  Bev worked her way through undergrad at two area hospitals as a respiratory therapy technician and emergency responder. She later employed that medical training here as a member of the National Ski Patrol and Metrodome First Aid Response Team.  Prior to co-founding a technology company, Bev was employed as a program manager and analyst for Control Data Corporation, Space Systems Division, for satellite programs including the Space Defense Initiative (SDI) program, DoD programs, NASA, and programs involving long-life, deep space missions, both classified and unclassified. 

 

Bev enjoys sports and recreation, and will bring a well-balanced perspective and the necessary life, family, business and legal experience to the bench in an impartial, caring, compassionate and respectful manner, and will serve our county well.  

 

Bev is honored to be endorsed by four Chairs of the Minnesota Commission on Judicial Selection under different Governors, Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, the Academy of Certified Trial Lawyers of Minnesota, MN Supreme Court Justice (retired) James Gilbert, MN Court of Appeals Judge (retired) Robert Schumacher, and Hennepin County Commissioner Randy Johnson, among many others.  Please contact Bev at beverlyahoforjudge@gmail.com or 612-270-2828.  She appreciates your support, and respectfully asks for your vote on November 4!

 

 

WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT BEVERLY AHO:

October 3, 2014

Statement by Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Paul H. Anderson (retired):

"Beverly, I want to acknowledge your hard work to keep partisan politics out of judicial elections. I especially appreciated these efforts in my campaign for re-election to the Minnesota Supreme Court. You have emerged as a leader on this nonpartisan issue and I want you to know that your efforts are noticed and appreciated. I urge you continue your efforts to insulate the judiciary from the influences of party politics."

Statement made by Justice Paul H Anderson (retired) to Beverly Aho and used with his permission. 10/3/2014

 

ELECTION 2014

Letter to the editor: Vote for Beverly Aho

October 17th, 2014

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          Many people call me during election years to ask who they should vote for judges on the ballot. I am writing this letter to strongly recommend the election of Beverly Aho for Judge 61, Hennepin County District Court, which will be on the ballot Nov. 4. I served as chairman of the Judicial Merit Selection Commission for the state of Minnesota under Gov. Carlson for seven years and as an Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court for seven years.

          In the process I have had an opportunity to recommend initial appointments of judges and judge judge’s work product on appeals. Based on my experience, Beverly Aho is the best qualified for this job. She has worked in the private sector, ran her own business, met a payroll, raised a family, has been active in her church and community.

          As a trial lawyer, she has worked on a wide variety of complex commercial, business, real estate, eminent domain and banking issues. In addition to her law degree, she also possesses an MBA and has a superb understanding of computers and the Internet, which are playing such a big role in virtually every case in our court system.

          Most importantly, Ms. Aho is an extremely hard worker, a good listener, and will follow the law in deciding the cases that come before her. Please join me in voting for Beverly Aho for Judge 61, located on the back of the ballot.

James H. Gilbert, Esq.  MN Supreme Court Justice, Retired

Eden Prairie

 

 

 

Letter: Bev Aho is well-versed in the law

By Sun Current Editor

October 18, 2014 at 2:53 pm

 

To the editor:

Please join me in voting for Beverly Aho for Hennepin County judge seat 61 on Nov. 4. At the District Court level, judges matter a great deal and are far more likely to have an impact on our daily lives than most other high-profile political figures. These judges are the primary decision-makers in the vast majority of our court cases, ranging from divorces to business disputes and from traffic violations to major felonies. If you ever find yourself facing such a situation, it matters a great deal that your case is heard before a judge who is well-versed in the law, who is also principled, experienced, respectful, fair, unbiased, ethical and compassionate.

Bev embodies all of these traits. I have known her for many years first as the Aho family in Edina, working side by side with her in community volunteer activities and her legal expertise, work ethic, common sense, life and business experience would serve us well  with her as judge. Because many of the judges with civil experience have recently retired in Hennepin County, Bev’s years of private sector experience, combined with her MBA and JD, will be assets. Bev and her husband, Brad, have been active volunteers in our community; she also has the life experience of raising three kids to adulthood. Bev is a practicing attorney with a former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice and has achieved extraordinary results for her clients as a trial, business and real estate lawyer. In short, she is ideally suited for this challenging and important job of judge.

I strongly endorse Beverly Aho for judge seat 61 and ask that you join me with your vote for Bev. Judicial elections are on the back of the ballot.

Jerry Paar

Edina

 

Opinion

LETTER: Endorsing Beverly Aho for county judge

By Community Contributer

July 24, 2014, Published in Maple Grove Press

 

To the Editor:

 

Please join me in voting for Beverly Aho for Hennepin Country Judge on Aug. 12.  As a long-time resident of Maple Grove and civil litigation attorney at Hellmuth & Johnson in Edina, I know that District Court judges are far more likely to have an impact on your daily lives than most high-profile political figures. They are the primary decision-makers in the vast majority of cases, ranging from divorces to business disputes, and from traffic issues to major felonies. If you ever find yourself facing such a situation, it matters a great deal that your case is heard before a judge who is well-versed in the law and is experienced, ethical, impartial and fair.

 

Aho embodies all these traits. I’ve known her since law school, and her legal knowledge, principled values, diligence and experience are ideally suited for the challenging and important job of District Court judge. She also has an MBA, and co-founded a technology business. As an active volunteer with her husband Brad, who serves on Eden Prairie City Council, they raised three great kids among other accomplishments. She now has a distinguished career as a litigation, business and real estate attorney.

 

I strongly endorse Aho for Judge on August 12!  www.beverlyahoforjudge.com.

Brian Niemczyk

Maple Grove

 

 

ELECTION 2014

Letter to the editor: Support Beverly Aho for Judge

Star Tribune, August 8, 2014

 

I am writing in support of Beverly Aho for the position of Hennepin County district judge (open Seat 61). I am a lawyer and have had the good fortune to work with Bev Aho for seven years, and can attest to her competence, experience, integrity and work ethic. I believe that, as a second-generation American, she will strike an ideal and appropriate balance between diligent enforcement of the law and a level of compassion and wisdom exhibited by great judges. She also will bring to the bench other strengths not frequently found in judges: an extensive background in science and technology and an MBA degree, combined with a résumé demonstrating a broad range of work and community volunteer experiences.

Steve Hedges, St. Louis Park

 

 

ELECTION 2014

Letter to the editor: We need judges like Bev Aho

July 25th, 2014  Eden Prairie News

 

I am supporting Beverly Aho for Hennepin County Judge. I have had the pleasure to get to know her personally over the last year. I have found her to be a kind person and a hard-worker, dedicated to giving everyone a chance to express their own viewpoints. Then drawing from her professional experience to bring forth balanced and thoughtful conclusions that are fair to all.

 

I believe we need more such principled judges as Bev Aho.  I urge you to remember to turn the ballot over to the back, find "Aho" and give her your vote.

 

Jeffrey Simon

Eden Prairie

 

 

ELECTION 2014

Letter to the editor: Support Aho for District Judge

July 18th, 2014

Eden Prairie NEWS        

 

I am recommending Beverly Aho for Hennepin County District Judge. I feel so strongly about it that I have volunteered to serve as the treasurer of her campaign committee.

 

Many know Beverly as the spouse of our Eden Prairie City Councilman Brad Aho. Beverly is a wife and also a mother of three. Her daughters and son are accomplished young adults. Beverly is also a practicing litigation, real estate and business law attorney and has had an extensive career in business.

 

My husband and I have known Brad and Bev Aho for over 16 years. We have enjoyed their company and know them to be extremely giving of their time to friends and the community.  Hennepin County will be well served by electing Beverly Aho as a district judge. I feel she has an intelligence and a breadth of experience in her personal and professional life that will benefit all those who will come before the law looking for a fair resolution.

 

Please vote for Beverly Aho for Hennepin District Judge in the primary election this Aug. 12.

Gretchen Docter

Eden Prairie

 

 

ELECTION 2014

Letter to the editor: Endorses Bev Aho for judge

July 25th, 2014

Eden Prairie NEWS

 

Please join me in voting for Beverly Aho for Hennepin Country Judge on Aug. 12 in the primary election. Although many people do not give much thought to judicial elections, especially for positions at the District Court level, District Court judges do matter and are far more likely to have an impact on your daily lives than most other high-profile political figures. They are the primary decision-makers in the vast majority of cases, ranging from divorces to business disputes, and from traffic violations to major felonies. If you ever find yourself facing such a situation, it matters a great deal that your case is heard before a judge who is well-versed in the law, and is also principled, experienced, respectful, fair, ethical and compassionate.

 

Bev embodies all of these traits. I have known her for many years, and her legal expertise, diligence, common sense, and life and business experience would serve us well as judge. Because many of the experienced civil judges have recently retired in Hennepin County, Bev’s 25-plus years of business experience working for both Fortune 500 and small companies, combined with her MBA and JD, would be assets. Bev and her husband, Brad, have been active volunteers in our community for more than 20 years; she also has the life experience of raising three great kids to adulthood. Bev is a practicing attorney with a former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice, and has achieved extraordinary results for her clients as a litigation, business and real estate lawyer. In short, she is ideally suited for the challenging and important job of District Court judge.

 

I therefore strongly endorse Beverly Aho for Judge, and ask you to join me in voting for her on Aug. 12. Judicial elections are on the back of the ballot. To learn more: http://www.beverlyahoforjudge.com/.

Kevin Schultz

Eden Prairie

 

 

Check back for more Letters to the Editor Supporting Bev Aho!