Michael O. Freeman

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = Mike Freeman Listens to Community Member at Hennepin County Attorney Debate (45536677041) (cropped).jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Freeman in 2018

| birth_name = Michael Orville Freeman

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1948|5|7|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.

| alma_mater = Rutgers University (BA)
University of Minnesota (JD)

| state_senate3 = Minnesota

| district3 = 40th

| term_start3 = January 4, 1983

| term_end3 = January 7, 1991

| preceded3 = John B. Keefe

| succeeded3 = Phil Riveness

| title1 = County Attorney of Hennepin County

| term_start2 = January 7, 1991

| term_end2 = January 5, 1999

| preceded2 = Tom Johnson

| succeeded2 = Amy Klobuchar

| term_start1 = January 3, 2007

| term_end1 = January 2, 2023

| preceded1 = Amy Klobuchar

| succeeded1 = Mary Moriarty

| party = Democratic

| occupation = Attorney, politician

| majority =

| children = 5

| parents = Orville Freeman
Jane Shields

| name = Michael Freeman

}}

Michael Orville Freeman (born May 7, 1948) is an American attorney and politician who served as the county attorney for Hennepin County from 1991 to 1999 and again from 2007 to 2023.{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10197 |title=Minnesota Legislators Past & Present - Legislator Record - Freeman, Michael O |publisher=Leg.state.mn.us |date= |accessdate=July 20, 2010}} While in office, he was the official responsible overseeing several high-profile criminal cases of excessive police force, including several unlawful killings by law enforcement officers. Freeman filed criminal charges against Derek Chauvin and three other Minneapolis police officers responsible for the murder of George Floyd in 2020, before the Minnesota Attorney General's office took over the case.

Early life and education

Freeman was raised and educated in Minneapolis before moving to the Washington, D.C. area when his father Orville Freeman joined the cabinet of President John F. Kennedy. He is a graduate of Maryland's Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.{{cite news |last=Huey |first=Pamela |date=November 20, 2013 |title=Minnesota's Freeman family watched historic tragedy unfold from up close |url=https://www.startribune.com/2013-minnesota-s-freeman-family-watched-historic-tragedy-unfold/232604241/ |work=Star Tribune |location=Minneapolis, MN}} Freeman received a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University in 1970 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1974. He is the son of Jane Shields and Orville Freeman, who was a Minnesota governor and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture under presidents Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.{{cite web|last=Stout |first=David |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/22/us/orville-freeman-84-dies-60-s-agriculture-secretary.html |title=Orville Freeman, 84, Dies - 60's Agriculture Secretary - Obituary; Biography |work=The New York Times |date=February 22, 2003 |accessdate=July 20, 2010}} Freeman is married to journalist Kate McCarthy.{{Cite web |last=C.J |date=2014-01-15 |title=C.J.: WCCO's DeRusha in deep freeze over trick |url=https://www.startribune.com/c-j-wcco-s-derusha-in-deep-freeze-over-trick/240021461 |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Star Tribune |language=en}}

Career

A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, Freeman was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 1982, representing the old District 40, which included the city of Richfield and a portion of Bloomington in Hennepin County. He was re-elected in 1986, serving as Majority Whip during his second term (1987–1991). He was also vice chair of the Finance Committee from 1987 to 1991, and of the Economic Development and Commerce Committee from 1983 to 1986. He also chaired the Economic Development Subcommittee from 1983 to 1986.{{cite web |url=http://www.hennepinattorney.org/Portals/0/Freeman%20resume.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=September 25, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722140238/http://www.hennepinattorney.org/Portals/0/Freeman%20resume.pdf |archivedate=July 22, 2011 }}

Freeman was elected Hennepin County Attorney in 1990, serving until 1999. He ran for county attorney again in 2006 after incumbent Amy Klobuchar opted to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Mark Dayton, and he was elected by a wide margin.

Freeman ran twice for governor of Minnesota. In 1994 he lost the DFL Party endorsement to John Marty. Marty was later defeated in the general election by incumbent Governor Arne Carlson. In 1998 he won the DFL Party endorsement but lost the primary election to Skip Humphrey, who went on to lose the general election to Jesse Ventura.

In 2019, Freeman took a short leave of absence to enter a treatment program for alcohol addiction.{{cite web | url=http://twincities.com/2019/05/17/hennepin-county-attorney-mike-freeman-to-enter-alcohol-treatment/ |title=Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman to enter alcohol treatment|date=May 17, 2019|accessdate=May 28, 2020}}

On September 1, 2021, Freeman announced that he would retire at the end of his term after 24 years in the role.{{Cite web|url=https://www.startribune.com/hennepin-county-attorney-mike-freeman-won-t-seek-re-election/600092880/|title=Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman won't seek re-election|website=Star Tribune |date=September 2021 }}

=Police brutality cases=

{{see also|2020–2021 Minneapolis–Saint Paul racial justice protests#Hennepin County prosecutor protest, June 12}}

As County Attorney, Freeman has dealt with several police brutality cases. He filed charges against Mohamed Noor for the shooting of Justine Damond,{{Cite news|last1=Furber|first1=Matt|last2=Smith|first2=Mitch|date=2018-03-20|title=Minneapolis Officer Charged With Murder in Australian Woman's Death|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/20/us/minneapolis-police-shooting-justine-damond.html|access-date=2020-06-30|issn=0362-4331}} but declined to charge the officers involved in the shooting of Jamar Clark{{Cite web|date=2016-03-30|title=No Charges in Hennepin County for 2 Minneapolis Officers in Jamar Clark Shooting|url=https://kstp.com/news/charging-decision-jamar-clark-case/4089780/|access-date=2020-06-30|website=KSTP|language=en}} or the shooting of Thurman Blevins.{{Cite web|date=2018-07-31|title=What we know about the decision not to charge two MPD officers for killing Thurman Blevins. And where things go from here|url=https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2018/07/what-we-know-about-decision-not-charge-two-mpd-officers-killing-thurman-blev/|access-date=2020-06-30|website=MinnPost|language=en-US}} Police body camera footage confirmed that Blevins had in fact fired gunshots at the officers before they returned fire.{{Cite web|url=https://www.startribune.com/police-release-body-camera-video-of-blevins-shooting/489470851/|title = Minneapolis police video shows an armed Thurman Blevins running, pleading not to be shot| website=Star Tribune | date=July 30, 2018 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.startribune.com/a-second-by-second-breakdown-of-the-thurman-blevins-shooting-videos/489551231/|title = Breaking down the bodycam video: The Blevins shooting timeline| website=Star Tribune | date=July 30, 2018 }}

=Derek Chauvin case=

In 2020, Freeman filed charges against officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd.{{Cite web|title=Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman faces new challenge in case against former Minneapolis police officer|url=https://www.startribune.com/mike-freeman-faces-new-challenge-in-case-against-derek-chauvin/570898612/|access-date=2020-06-30|website=Star Tribune|date=May 31, 2020 }} In the wake of the George Floyd killing, a group launched a petition drive to have Freeman recalled.{{Cite web|title=George Floyd's family applauds charges against four fired Minneapolis officers|url=https://www.startribune.com/sadness-turns-to-celebration-at-site-of-george-floyd-s-death-in-minneapolis-as-all-ex-officers-are-charged/570983222/|access-date=2020-06-30|website=Star Tribune|date=June 4, 2020 }} On September 11, 2020, Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill banned Freeman and three of his staffers from working on the cases against the former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd's murder, including State v. Chauvin.{{Cite web|title=Judge disqualifies Mike Freeman's office for 'sloppy' work in George Floyd case|url=https://www.startribune.com/judge-disqualifies-freeman-for-sloppy-work-in-floyd-case/572378842/|access-date=2020-12-04|website=Star Tribune|date=September 12, 2020 }} The ruling related to a meeting some staff lawyers had with the Hennepin County medical examiner, a likely witness in the case, which allegedly violated the rules of professional conduct for attorneys. Nevertheless, Freeman played a vital role in Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's prosecution team that secured Chauvin's conviction on April 20, 2021, providing "strategic advice and coordination" to other Hennepin County attorneys who served on the team.{{cite web| url = https://www.c-span.org/video/?511112-1/minnesota-attorney-general-ellison-news-conference-chauvin-verdict| title = Minnesota Attorney General Ellison News Conference on Chauvin Verdict {{!}} C-SPAN.org}}

Other cases

= CeCe McDonald case =

Freeman was the prosecutor for noted black trans activist CeCe McDonald where she was prosecuted for manslaughter after stabbing a man with multiple violent felonies who had nazi tattoos. Freeman argued that the nazi tattoos were irrelevant and prejudicial. CeCe took a plea deal rather than face the possibility of a long jail term despite the fact that she and her advocates claim self defense.