County Attorney

The mission of the Otter Tail County Attorney’s Office is to ensure public trust and safety by administering justice in a fair and consistent manner.

Our values are respect, ethics, competence, professionalism, and compassion.

Primary Responsibilities & Services

The Otter Tail County Attorney is an elected official with specific obligations set forth in Minnesota Statutes. The County Attorney is the chief prosecutor for all adult felony crimes in the county and prosecutes misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor offenses occurring in unincorporated areas. The County Attorney duties include the following:

• Prosecutes all levels of crime committed by juveniles
• Provides assistance and support to the victims of crime, including the seeking of restitution for losses they have suffered
• Serves as the legal adviser to the County Board of Commissioners and other county officials
• Represents the county in civil litigation
• Initiates legal actions to protect abused or neglected children and vulnerable adults
• Files involuntary commitment actions to provide necessary treatment for individuals who are mentally ill, chemically dependent or mentally handicapped
• Brings actions to obtain or enforce child support obligations, to establish paternity of children and to obtain reimbursement of public funds

To perform the duties, the Otter Tail County Attorney has an experienced staff of assistants, support staff, a collections officer and a welfare fraud investigator. The County Attorney and staff are not permitted to represent or provide legal advice to private citizens.

Acceptance of Civil Summonses

All civil summonses directed at the county must be delivered in person to the County Attorney’s Office, per Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 4.03 (e)(1).