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State files writ against Wright County over Community Corrections Act; commissioners call the suit costly
Summary
Wright County commissioners said the county was served Dec. 17, 2025 with a writ of prohibition and lawsuit from the state Department of Corrections and the attorney general seeking to block the county's participation in the Community Corrections Act; commissioners said the action carries financial and staffing consequences for the county.
Wright County commissioners told residents on Jan. 6 that the county was served Dec. 17, 2025 with a writ of prohibition and a lawsuit filed in the 10th Judicial District by Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Schnell and Attorney General Keith Ellison seeking to prevent Wright County from participating in the Community Corrections Act (CCA).
"This is another attempt for Schnell to prevent Wright County from participating in the Community Corrections Act," Commissioner Moina said, adding that the county has been blocked from a CCA subsidy program and is now being sued. "He has also cost his employees that were going to leave his employee to work for the county 10% or more in wage adjustments and raises that they would have received at the end of 2025."
Commissioner Moina said the lawsuit forced anticipated state employees to remain with the DOC and that those employees therefore did not receive raises they expected if they had transitioned to county employment. Moina also told the board the Minnesota Sheriffs Association passed a vote of no confidence in Commissioner Schnell; the transcript records that the vote "passed by a large majority" though it does not include a formal count or a separate statement from the association in the record.
The board did not receive a response from the Department of Corrections or the attorney general during the meeting. The transcript records no county legal filing or court schedule announced at the Jan. 6 meeting.
The chair thanked Commissioner Moina for advancing the issue and urged continued work with staff to seek a resolution, saying the dispute "needs to come to a resolution at some point" and expressing concern about the potential tax-dollar impact if the litigation continues.
The board did not take formal action at the meeting on the litigation itself. Commissioner Moina urged the public that county staff and elected officials will continue to pursue the matter.
Provenance: The account and quotes in this article derive from remarks by Commissioner Moina to the board during the Jan. 6, 2026 Wright County Board of Commissioners organizational meeting (transcript segments beginning at SEG 765 and continuing through SEG 818).
