Grand Forks County Deputy State’s Attorney Rachel Egstad sworn in as special federal prosecutor – Grand Forks Herald

GRAND FORKS — Grand Forks County Deputy State’s Attorney Rachel Egstad was sworn in as a special assistant to the U.S. state’s attorney under the Violence Against Women Act to prosecute firearms crimes committed in the Grand Forks area by individuals with a history of intimate partner violence. .

“We see this as a great opportunity,” Grand Forks County State’s Attorney Haley Wamstad told the Herald. “This will be a useful tool in the cases we prosecute in state court, because we will have extra federal resources handling our cases, but then we will have the opportunity – for truly deadly offenders – to have those individuals federally charged, if deemed appropriate.”

Designating Grand Forks as one of 78 communities that will work closely with federal law enforcement to combat intimate partner gun violence.

As the Herald reported in September,

Wamstad said this regulation would provide an additional avenue for pursuing justice by allowing federal prosecution for some criminal cases that currently come from state district court.

The U.S. Department of Justice, through the U.S. Attorney’s offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions, has partnered with each jurisdiction to begin developing a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and prioritize the prosecution of domestic violence offenders . The statement stated that owning a firearm is prohibited.

“We are truly pleased to be given the opportunity to serve in this role,” Wamstad said.

Following the selection of Grand Forks as one of the jurisdictions, USAO, ATF, Grand Forks County State’s Attorney’s Office, Grand Forks Police Department, Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Office, and Community Violence Intervention Center (CVIC) met to discuss how best to implement the initiative. , said my flock.

The announcement that Egstad will take on the new role was made in a press release issued Thursday, Nov. 14 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota. It will work closely with the above-mentioned organizations to guide investigations and initiate prosecutions where necessary.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota and the Grand Forks County State’s Attorney’s Office collaborated to select Egstad for the job based on his level and suitability of experience.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Egstad passed the bar exam in 2015 after earning his juris doctorate from UND. He has experience as a contract lawyer, juvenile public defender, prosecutor and special prosecutor. In 2018, she began working for the Grand Forks County State’s Attorney’s Office, where she is on the personal crimes team that primarily deals with victim-centered crimes. He will continue to work full-time as a prosecutor while fulfilling this new role.

“Having an experienced state prosecutor in Grand Forks who works with law enforcement and community partners to develop cases and target dangerous individuals for federal prosecution will protect families and help keep the community safe,” U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider said in the press release. he said.