Kathleen Reuter, Benton County Attorney

Briefly summarize your background and qualifications. I graduated from Drake Law School in 1997 and moved to Sauk Rapids in 1998. I worked in the Mille Lacs County Attorney’s Office from 1998-2000. In 2000, I accepted a job at the Benton County Attorney’s Office, where I have worked ever since. After 24 years as an assistant county attorney, I was appointed as the Benton County Attorney in 2024. I live in Sauk Rapids with my husband, and we raised our three children here. Our children are now grown, and we have one beautiful granddaughter.

What has been the biggest challenge of the attorney’s office in the last term and why? The two biggest challenges in the last four years have been dealing with staff turnover and the frequency of violent crimes. For the first 15-20 years that I worked here, we had little to no turnover in the office, as the pay disparity with other locations was not as great. Since just before the coronavirus pandemic, we have had trouble keeping attorneys here long term. Unfortunately, we are used as a training ground for attorneys who then leave to be paid more elsewhere.

 Benton County has also had a spike in homicides, attempted murders, sexual assaults and gun crimes. My biggest challenge has been handling those cases while trying to provide support and supervision to my assistants, meeting the administrative duties and hiring staff for our open positions.

In the last term, higher-profile Benton County cases such as attempted murder, premeditated murder and manslaughter have been prosecuted by the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. Explain why these requests were made. These requests were made both by my predecessors and I as the AG’s office has assistants in the criminal division that have expertise in homicide cases. These assistants are there for the very purpose of assisting county attorney offices. Due to being understaffed for the past several years, my predecessors and I have requested assistance in some cases. I am currently working on two homicide cases and one attempted homicide case. It is common in these types of cases for more than one attorney to share the duty of litigation and the complex issues they bring. Therefore, assistance from the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office has been needed.

Where do you spend most of your attention, and how do you ensure each case is adequately and efficiently processed? Most of my attention is spent on the high-profile cases, offering support and supervision to the assistant attorneys, trying to find attorneys who are willing to work in Benton County for less pay than they could make elsewhere, and maintaining the highest level of professionalism and prosecution in protecting the citizens of Benton County.

My ultimate goal is to provide public safety and serve the needs of our constituents. With the number of cases and the severity of the crimes occurring, the citizens and visitors to the county keep us very busy in the criminal arena. Benton County is the 25th largest county in population out of 87 counties in Minnesota. Although much of the county is rural, we also have the east side of St. Cloud, which makes for an active caseload.

 The majority of residents do not likely utilize or come into contact with the county attorney’s office.  What would you like constituents to know about your department? The people who work in my office are dedicated to the citizens of Benton County. They repeatedly are being contacted by other potential employers and could choose to leave and make more money. This truly is a job of public service. My office is dedicated to seeking justice for the citizens of Benton County who become victims of a crime, are being taken advantage of or endangered by another, and for those who simply want to live in an area where they feel safe and secure. We work long hours and are accessible to law enforcement and social services 24/7 so that we can address the needs of those in Benton County. I am extremely proud of those who serve in my office, as are other professionals who work with us on a daily basis.