The St. Louis County Attorney handles a variety of civil rights claims and litigated matters. We represent the St. Louis County Sheriffs Department, Northeast Regional Corrections Center (NERCC), and Arrowhead Juvenile Center (AJC). NERCC and AJC are regional custodial facilities for adults and juveniles, respectively. The Sheriffs Department has offices and staff throughout St. Louis County and operates three jail facilities Duluth, Virginia, and Hibbing. In addition, the Sheriffs Department has a standing Emergency Response Team as well as being the liaison to the St. Louis County Rescue Squad. As a result of law enforcement, custodial and prosecution activities, we receive claims and are sued alleging civil rights violations. The St. Louis County Attorney defends the entities sued and, usually, through St. Louis Countys indemnification policy, employees who are sued and were enacting within the scope and course of their employment in relation to the activity in question.
The St. Louis County Attorney oversees a tough yet fair claims practice wherein we review all of the claims submitted in this area and make recommendations to the County Board as to whether to pay the claim or to litigate the issue. In litigating these matters, we appear in both state and federal court and engage in intensive pretrial motion practice often centered around the question of whether the activity at issue is protected by the various immunities enjoyed by political subdivisions, ultimately the taxpayer, in Minnesota.
