Attorney general’s office gets $4.3 million bump to help assist county attorneys

State statute specifies the attorney general’s office as the backup prosecutor for all county attorneys upon request.

While demand is high, the number of available office staff to assist is low.

A new law provides funding for seven full-time equivalent attorneys and two full-time equivalent legal assistants in the Office of the Attorney General, who will provide needed legal services to rural county attorneys to prosecute serious violent crimes.

Effective Feb. 8, 2023, the law provides $269,000 in fiscal year 2023 to the office “for enhanced criminal enforcement and related initiatives.” The base for this appropriation is $2.02 million beginning in fiscal year 2024.

Supporters said about half of the state’s 87 counties have three or fewer county attorneys, who, in addition to their regular duties, are expected to handle cases across the legal spectrum, including complex, high-level crimes such as murder, sexual misconduct, arson, human trafficking, drug operations and financial crimes. Unlike the larger county offices, these smaller offices may not have lawyers who regularly practice in such specific areas.

Rep. John Huot (DFL-Rosemount) and Sen. Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul) sponsor the law.

HF29/SF33*/CH8

SF0033* / HF0029 / CH8