Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena is pleased to announce the promotion of Cheri Townsend to Chief Deputy and Amy Schaffer as the Head of the Adult Criminal Division effective January 2. According to a press release, Townsend joined the Dakota County Attorney’s Office as an Assistant County Attorney in the Criminal Division in 2005. After a brief stint with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, Townsend returned to Dakota County in 2019 as the Criminal Division Head. Attorney Amy Schaffer has dedicated her career to public service and has been in the Criminal Division of the Dakota County Attorney’s Office since 1999 when she was hired as a temporary Special Staff Assistant. She served as the Assistant Criminal Division Head since January 2019. Aside from her prosecutorial duties, Schaffer was and continues to be instrumental in the creation and maintenance of the office’s case management system.
