Mahnomen County acts to permanently replace County Attorney Julie Bruggeman – Detroit Lakes Tribune
DETROIT LAKES
— The Mahnomen County Board on Tuesday acted to permanently replace Mahnomen County attorney Julie Bruggeman, whose license to practice law was suspended indefinitely by the Minnesota Supreme Court in July, with no right to petition for reinstatement for 90 days.
She was placed on unpaid administrative leave by the county in July.
The Mahnomen County attorney’s office has been managed since then by Interim County attorney Jason Hastings, who will continue in that role until the county board appoints a permanent county attorney, according to a news release from Mahnomen County Administrator CJ Holl.
Bruggeman could not be reached for comment on Wednesday, and a phone message was not immediately returned.
The Mahnomen County Board acted on Nov. 28 to recognize and declare a vacancy in the office of county attorney, which officially ends Bruggeman’s term of office.
The next step is for the Mahnomen County Board to appoint a permanent county attorney for the remainder of that term, which ends Dec. 31, 2026, County voters will decide who serves in the office after that.
In July of 2023, the Mahnomen County Board was made aware of disciplinary action taken by the Minnesota State Supreme Court and the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility against Bruggeman, Holl said. The county board also learned that this was the second occasion on which Bruggeman had been the subject of discipline — she was also publicly reprimanded in 2018.
Immediately upon learning of Bruggeman’s suspension from the practice of law, the county board met on Friday, June 30, and on Friday, July 7 and took action to place her on unpaid administrative leave and to appoint Hasting as interim county attorney.
At that time, the consensus of the board was that immediate action was necessary to ensure the continued operation of the office, Holl said.
The county board took the action Tuesday due to uncertainty as to when or whether Bruggeman will become licensed again, and because the Mahnomen County attorney’s Office has been occupied by an interim appointee.
“The board strongly believes that the residents of Mahnomen County deserve a licensed and qualified attorney to hold the office until the voters can decide on a qualified successor at the end of the current term,” Holl said. “The board and residents of Mahnomen County expect that all employees and elected officials representing the county will adhere to the highest ethical standards. The board takes this action seriously and after due deliberation and with the advice of legal counsel.”
The move will provide the county and Mahnomen County residents with continuity of service in the important role of the county attorney, he added.
In Mahnomen County, the county attorney oversees a staff of four or five attorneys, legal secretaries and victims advocates, Holl said in an earlier interview.
The office handles a wide variety of cases, including felony and other criminal prosecutions, child support enforcement, juvenile and family matters, and it provides legal counsel for county administration.
Bruggeman was appointed as county attorney by the Mahnomen County Board last year, to replace Mitchell Schluter, who left to become an assistant county attorney in Anoka County.
Bruggeman, who previously served as Mahnomen County attorney from 2003 to 2010, was the sole applicant for the job.
She ran unopposed in November of 2022 and started a four-year term on Jan. 1.
According to the petition for disciplinary action filed by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, Bruggeman
committed professional misconduct
warranting public discipline.
To make matters worse, she fabricated documents and made knowingly false statements to the director of the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility during its disciplinary investigation of her.
In a memorandum attached to the stipulation, the director noted that Bruggeman presented evidence that she had been under extreme personal stress at the time.
In a discipline agreement, Bruggeman unconditionally admitted to the allegations and agreed to the indefinite suspension.
Bowe covers the Becker County Board and the court system for the Tribune, and handles the opinion pages for the Tribune and Focus. As news editor of both papers, he is the go-to contact person for readers and the general public: breaking or hard news tips, story ideas, questions and general feedback should be directed to him.
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