Lynn Crooks a Former Prosecutor That Many Will Remember

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — Former Federal Prosecutor Lynn Crooks known for his prosecution against former American Indian activist Leonard Peltier, has died.

Crooks was admitted into the North Dakota courts in July of 1965.

His was a Special Assistant Attorney General for North Dakota and later an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Fargo until his retirement in 2002.

As an assistant U.S. attorney, Crooks led the government’s team of prosecutors during Leonard Peltier’s trial in Fargo in 1977. Peltier was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

After retiring in May of 2002, Crooks became an outspoken supporter of Marsy’s Law. A law in which gives legal rights to crime victims.

“The District of North Dakota was extremely lucky to have him working for the Department of Justice and this part of the country for over thirty years. And that is a legacy of service that we all just stand to emulate,” said Mac Schneider, U.S. States Attorney.

“Hundreds of people across the state of North Dakota and the region and the Justice Department who knew him, who worked with him, who respected Lynn’s work. His integrity, his decency, the strength of his advocacy. But it was always about the bottom line, it was about seeking justice,” said Drew Wrigley, North Dakota Attorney General.

The United States Attorney’s Office released a statement on his passing saying
“..his colleagues will remember him as a kind and generous man who was never too busy to help a friend or mentor a young attorney.”