LISTEN: Amber Gustafson’s conversation with The Flag’s Steve Hallstrom
MOORHEAD, Minn. – Former District Court Judge Amber Gustafson, who’s running for Clay County Attorney, believes more needs to be done to increase convictions and lower the amount of mistrials in cases brought forward by the Clay County Attorney’s Office.
Gustafson said state numbers show the Attorney’s Office lost 15 cases between March 2024 to March 2026. In the same timeframe, attorneys offices in Becker and Otter Tail counties had 70 to 75% conviction rates.
“When you’re the office that’s deciding what to charge and you’re the driving force of when you’re going to trial and how we’re charging these things at a 60% or less conviction rate, I think we can do better,” Gustafson said on “The Steve Hallstrom Show”.
Gustafson believes mistrials are a concern for taxpayers as she said seven have happened since August 2025.
“It makes me want to say how are we evaluating our cases and how are we deciding which charges to move forward on and how are we charging? I think it could use a fresh look, and I’m ready to bring that,” Gustafson explained.
Flag Family News reached out to Clay County Attorney Brian Melton for his reaction to Gustafson’s comments, and to see if he’s running for another term, but we haven’t heard back.
Gustafson was a judge for Minnesota’s 7th Judicial District and stepped down after her husband, West Fargo Police Lt. Adam Gustafson died after suffering a heart attack at West Fargo City Hall in May 2021.
