Attorney added at county office

The Carlton County board gave approval this week to hire a full-time attorney for the attorney’s office. County attorney Lauri Ketola said she has attempted to hire a temporary attorney to help with the backlog of cases created by the effects of the pandemic. She has lost more than one of these attorneys when they found permanent positions elsewhere. There is a shortage of attorneys, she said.

Budget money has been allocated to cover the new attorney, which would have been a temporary position until May of 2024. That issue will be discussed during the setting of a new budget later this summer. Ketola thanked the board and noted her staff has been taking on a number of high-profile cases involving murder, manslaughter, and people responsible for drug overdoses.