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County attorney and sheriff report falling caseloads; county prepares for one homicide trial
Summary
At the annual statutory meeting with elected officials, the county attorney reported lower complaint and controlled‑substance numbers and three pending appeals; the attorney general's office will assist a homicide prosecution set for March. Sheriff and deputies reported fewer complaint reports and discussed cameras and equipment.
Pipestone County held its annual meeting with elected officials during the Dec. 2 commissioners session. The county attorney and sheriff briefed the board on caseloads, staffing and major upcoming cases.
Demaine, the county attorney, summarized workload trends and salary items. "In '23 we had 78 formal complaints, in '24 we had 88. This year we're down to 57," he said, noting controlled‑substance crimes dropped from 23 in prior years to 10 this year. He told the board there are three pending appeals and one pending homicide case scheduled for trial in March; the attorney general's office has agreed to handle the homicide prosecution and the county expects to incur travel and lodging reimbursement costs if a trial proceeds.
Demaine also described efforts to align assistant county attorney pay after differing starting salaries: he presented figures that would put both assistants (Adam and Aaron) at approximately $72,100 for 2026 and estimated his own 2026 salary at $104,092 after a proposed 3% increase.
Sheriff's office representatives reported fewer incident complaint reports this year and thanked commissioners for equipment support. The sheriff and chief deputy said body camera deployment, building window work and vehicle replacement are priorities; deputies' lower complaint volumes have reduced some prosecution workload. Board members expressed support for continued investment in vehicles and body cameras, while noting budget constraints under discussion.
The board did not take action on personnel compensation at this meeting beyond direction to include these items in the proposed budget; the annual meeting served as the statutorily required review of elected officials' salaries and budgets.
