MINNEAPOLIS — Hennepin County has officially signed a contract to retain an outside legal firm to prosecute State Trooper Ryan Londregan for the fatal shooting of a Black motorist on the shoulder of I-94 last July.
The contract with Steptoe LLP, a Washington D.C.-based law firm, officially was backdated to take effect on April 22 and runs through Dec. 31, 2025. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty e-signed it just after noon Thursday, while Steptoe attorney Karima Maloney - who will serve as team lead - put her signature on the contract Wednesday.
Language in the contract makes it clear that while Steptoe LLP will conduct the prosecution of Londregan for second-degree murder in the shooting of Ricky Cobb II, the legal team will report to Moriarty and Deputy County Attorney Sarah Davis and strictly follow their direction, rules and procedures.
Steptoe attorneys are also required to abide by all county and state rules, laws and policies
Among other stipulations in the agreement:
- Total cost to Hennepin County, including all reimbursable expenses, is not to exceed $1 million.
- Attorneys will be paid a blended rate of $850 per hour
- Paralegals will be paid $250 per hour
- When fees exceed $750,000, Steptoe will notify the county attorney, and Moriarty will need to ask the county board for authority to amend the contract for additional money.
- Steptoe is retained "for consultation and legal counsel"
- The contract can be canceled/terminated at any time upon three days written notice
“Our goal in this case, as in every case, is to achieve a just process and outcome, public transparency, and accountability for the harm that has been caused," Moriarty said in a released statement. "It is clear this case will be extremely resource-intensive and will involve extensive litigation prior to trial. These former federal prosecutors with impeccable credentials will be singularly focused on this case while the rest of our team continues the critical work of prosecuting the high volume of other serious cases that are central to safety in our community.”
Moriarty's office also made it clear that Steptoe conducted an initial independent review of the case to determine whether its team of former federal prosecutors believed prosecution of Londregan is justified. HCAO says Steptoe completed the initial review and concluded that prosecution of the case should proceed.
Here is the legal team from Steptoe that will head up the prosecution of Londregan.
Prior to entering private practice in 2016, Karima Maloney served as the deputy chief of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section. During 12 years with the DOJ, she handled cases involving high-profile official misconduct, human trafficking, and hate crime prosecutions across the United States.
Michael R. Bromwich has more than 40 years of experience in the criminal justice field. He served as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York and as a special prosecutor during the Iran-Contra scandal. He later served as the inspector general for the Department of Justice, the principal oversight official in the Department of Justice with jurisdiction over the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. Over the past 20 years, he has worked with police departments around country on use of force issues, including Washington, DC, Chicago, Baltimore, and Phoenix. Recently, he led teams of Steptoe lawyers in a comprehensive investigation of the largest corruption scandal in the history of the Baltimore Police Department and an investigation of the Boise Police Department.
Prior to returning to private practice, Ryan Poscablo spent six years as an assistant U.S. attorney for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York where he served as a member of its violent and organized crime unit. During his time as a prosecutor, Poscablo investigated, prosecuted and convicted defendants involved in racketeering, financial crimes, violent crimes and public corruption. He tried and convicted numerous defendants of murder.
Steven Levin has over ten years of experience in senior positions within the government, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland (USAO). As a former supervisor in the USAO, he investigated and prosecuted cases involving financial crimes, public corruption, racketeering, cybercrime, national security, narcotics, money laundering, immigration offenses, and violent crime. He successfully prosecuted a former Baltimore Police Commissioner on public corruption charges, successfully represented an off-duty police officer in a first-degree murder case, and successfully represented two other police officers in misconduct cases.
Levin retired from the United States Army, having served for 30 years on both active duty and as a reservist. After serving as a prosecutor, military defense counsel, and criminal law professor, Levin served as a military judge for his last ten years of service. Upon retirement, Levin was awarded the Legion of Merit.
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