Kevin Magnuson Succeeds Pete Orput As Washington County Attorney

WASHINGTON COUNTY, MN — The Washington County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted Tuesday to appoint Kevin Magnuson to succeed former Washington County Attorney Pete Orput, who died in April.

Magnuson, an assistant Washington County attorney, was the sole candidate to file to seek the office in the 2022 general election — a key factor in the board appointing him Tuesday.

Orput endorsed Magnuson’s campaign to succeed him as Washington County’s top prosecutor, saying he was "confident" that Magnuson will "make Washington County a better place to live, work and raise a family." Orput was due to retire at the end of 2022.

"Kevin has the temperament and judgment to vigorously prosecute violations of the law while also wisely exercising discretion to take actions that deter crime and heal the wounds that exist in our communities," Orput said in January.

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Magnuson will serve as Washington County attorney on an interim basis until his likely election in the Nov. 8 general election, in which he’s running unopposed.

First Assistant Washington County Attorney Brent Wartner has been leading the office for the past two months.

Washington County Commissioner Frank Miron made a motion Tuesday morning to appoint Magnuson “out of honor and respect for what Pete did here in Washington County.”

Orput was among the first to support Magnuson’s campaign to succeed him, Miron said, noting that the timing of the appointment — with a celebration of Orput’s life to be held Wednesday — was “fitting … to honor his memory and the work that he did, and his support for Kevin.”

Commissioner Stan Karwoski said he “fully support(s)” Magnuson’s appointment as Washington County attorney, noting the lack of any other candidates for the office was “basically … an endorsement from the citizens” for Magnuson.

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Magnuson graduated in 1999 from the University of Minnesota's law school and served as a clerk at the European Commission for a year before returning to the Twin Cities metro to practice law.

Magnuson earned his bachelor's degree at Wheaton College in 1990 and then served as an officer in the U.S. Army for three years. He also holds a master's degree in philosophy from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium.

He joined the Washington County Attorney’s Office in 2019 after working for more than a decade at Kelley, Wolter & Scott, a prominent criminal defense firm in Minneapolis. He served as a prosecutor for financial crimes and vulnerable adults for the county attorney's office prior to his appointment Tuesday.

The Lake Elmo native and resident said in his campaign announcement that he plans to build on the "strong foundation" Orput created over three terms as Washington County attorney and promised to "continue working to accomplish real justice in the community by holding violent criminals accountable and empowering victims."

Magnuson told Patch in April that Orput was a "great mentor" and built a "very cohesive" team at the Washington County Attorney's Office, where "people ... felt like he had their back and felt empowered to make decisions.”

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Orput was "one of a kind" and "one of the top prosecutors in the state, no question,” Magnuson said.

He was "really tough on crime" and a "vigorous prosecutor, but at the same time, he knew when justice needed to be blended with compassion," Magnuson said.

The Washington County Board of Commissioners appointed Magnuson as Washington County attorney with Orput’s wife, Tami, watching on.

Family and friends are set to celebrate Orput’s life with a ceremony from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday at La Pointe Events in Somerset, Wisconsin. Orput’s family is asking for donations to be made the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans in lieu of flowers.

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