For Zachary Lyngaas, the path from growing up in Britton to becoming a district court judge in Minnesota has taken him through college, law school, courtrooms, military deployments and careers on both sides of the criminal justice system.
Lyngaas, a 2006 graduate of Britton-Hecla High School, was recently appointed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to serve as a district court judge in Minnesota’s First Judicial District. He will be chambered in Shakopee in Scott County, replacing Judge Caroline H. Lennon.
The appointment marks the latest chapter in a career that has included work as a prosecutor, public defender and military service member.
But long before he was wearing a judge’s robe, Lyngaas was a Britton student spending his time in the pool and on athletic fields. “I went to school in Britton from kindergarten through the transition to Britton-Hecla and graduated in 2006,” Lyngaas said.
His father and a business partner own Rapid Precision Manufacturing on the south side of Britton. During high school, Lyngaas played football and wrestled and was a member of the swim team. He also spent plenty of time at the community pool, both as a swimmer and lifeguard.
After high school, Lyngaas attended South Dakota State University, where he majored in political science. He also joined the Minnesota Army National Guard and became a crewman on an M1A1 Abrams tank.
He graduated from SDSU in 2010 and remained in Brookings, working a factory job until 2013. He then took the LSAT and eventually received a scholarship to attend the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis. He graduated from law school in 2016.
Lyngaas said there was not one particular person or experience that led him toward law, although he joked that watching the television series “The Wire” helped make criminal prosecution seem interesting.
His legal career began while he was still in law school, when he worked for the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office. After graduating, he became a law clerk and later worked as an assistant McLeod County attorney, where he prosecuted numerous jury trials involving offenses ranging from DWI to murder.
His legal career was interrupted by military service. His National Guard unit was activated in response to the civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd. He was also deployed to Kuwait and Afghanistan in 2021 and was serving in Afghanistan during the evacuation in August of that year.
In late 2022, Lyngaas left the McLeod County Attorney’s Office and became an assistant public defender, representing people charged with crimes who could not afford to hire their own attorneys.
That experience on both sides of the courtroom is now part of what he brings to the bench.
When he learned he had been selected as a judge, Lyngaas said his reaction was simple.
“I was ecstatic. It almost did not seem real,” he said.
The First Judicial District includes Carver, Dakota, Goodhue, Le Sueur, McLeod, Scott and Sibley counties. Lyngaas will serve in Scott County, which has about 151,000 residents and includes communities such as Shakopee, Prior Lake and Savage, along with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community.
As he begins his first judicial appointment, Lyngaas said one of his biggest priorities is building trust in the court system. “We are living in a time of nearly unprecedented division,” he said. “Many people don’t trust the government or the judiciary.”
He said he wants every person who appears before him to leave the courtroom knowing they had a full and fair opportunity to present their case and that they were heard.
“If they can also leave knowing that I treated them fairly and made the best decision I could under the law, then I will have done my job as well as my own small part in rebuilding government trust,” he said.
His military experiences have also shaped the way he approaches his work.
Serving in Afghanistan, particularly witnessing the country’s descent into Taliban rule and the evacuation of civilians, gave Lyngaas a deeper appreciation for the American system of government and the protections provided by an independent judiciary and jury system.
“Being a part of a system that upholds democracy, as a prosecutor, a criminal defense attorney, and now as a judge, have been an immense privilege,” he said.
Military service also taught him to remain calm under pressure, a skill he said has carried over directly into the courtroom.
For young people from Britton and other small communities who are considering law, public service or the military, Lyngaas has some straightforward advice: Do not count yourself out. “Make people say no to you rather than saying no to yourself,” he said. “You will be shocked how many times other people think you are qualified for something even when you don’t!”
Looking back at his journey from Britton to the bench, Lyngaas said his appointment is an immense honor. “I am privileged to be able to serve as a judge,” he said. “I remember that each time I walk into the courthouse.”
