Frequently Asked Questions

• Does the Attorney's Office give legal advice to private residents?

  The Becker County Attorney's Office is a full-time office and can only represent the County and perform duties authorized by state statute. The County Attorney and assistants cannot give private legal advice to individuals about legal problems or disputes with others. In order to obtain such private legal advice, an individual must contact a private attorney. Refer to the Yellow Pages for a local attorney or contact the Minnesota Bar Association Referral Service at (800) 292-4152 or visit the MN Find a Lawyer website.

• I have a legal issue with my landlord, can the Attorney's Office assist me in solving this problem?

  The county attorney cannot give legal advice to either landlords or tenants. The Attorney General's Office can provide some direction for landlord/tenant disputes, (800) 657-3787.

• Do I report a crime to the County Attorney?

  If an individual is aware that a crime may have been committed, the information should be provided to the local law enforcement agency, either a City Police Department or the County Sheriff, depending upon where the crime occurred. A major responsibility of the county attorney is the decision whether or not to charge persons with crimes, however, it is based upon investigations of law enforcement departments and other regulatory agencies.

• A customer gave me a bad check, what do I do?

  Under some circumstances, the issuance of an insufficient funds check or an account closed check may constitute a crime. In those cases, the County Attorney's Office or a city prosecutor may become involved. However, just as in the case of any other crime, the offense must first be reported to the appropriate law enforcement agency who will work with a victim to follow the necessary procedures.

• Child Support Collection

  Whenever federal welfare benefits are paid, the county attorney brings actions to obtain or enforce child support obligations or to establish paternity of a child in order to obtain reimbursement of these public funds. Parents not receiving federal welfare benefits may also apply for and receive these child support enforcement or paternity establishment services, and should contact the Child Support Enforcement Office of the Becker County Human Services Department, (218) 847-5628.

• Consumer Protection

  Many questionable business practices do not involve criminal acts, but a victim may have civil remedies. In these situations, the County Attorney's Office cannot be involved, however, the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division may be able to provide some advice, (612) 296-3353. Some acts of consumer fraud are criminal and can be reported to a law enforcement agency as well. However, an initial contact with the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General's Office may help an individual determine whether or not a criminal investigation might be of any help.

• Satisfaction of Judgments

  Persons with judgments against them, including defendants ordered to pay restitution in criminal matters, may file Satisfactions of Judgment with the District Court once the obligation has been paid in full. The County Attorney's Office does not prepare such documentation, and the Satisfaction of Judgment must be signed by the judgment creditor, who is the person to whom the judgment was owed. Satisfaction of Judgment forms are available through the Court Administration Office in the Courthouse.

• Criminal Records

  The Becker County Attorney's Office can only disclose those crimes that it prosecuted. Private individuals can generally access more complete criminal records only through the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in St. Paul, (651) 642-0672.

• Defense Attorneys

  The county attorneys are prosecutors, and do not defend individuals in criminal cases. An individual must either hire one's own attorney or apply for a public defender. One wishing to seek the appointment of a public defender should contact the Court Administration Office.