# Washington County District Court *Minnesota court; venue of the 2013 Beecroft retrial and the 2026 3M PFAS suit.* The **Washington County District Court** is a [[Minnesota]] state court in Washington County. Two matters place it in this record. In 2013 it heard the retrial of [[Nicole Beecroft]], after the [[Minnesota Supreme Court]] reversed her first-degree murder conviction. In 2026 a suit by the State against 3M over PFAS contamination was reported as filed there.[^1][^2] At the retrial the [[Washington County Attorney's Office]] prosecuted the case. Judge John C. Hoffman convicted Beecroft on September 26, 2013, of second-degree intentional murder, a reduction from the first-degree conviction that had been reversed.[^1] This record's at-issue entry links the venue change to two earlier decisions about the conduct of the original prosecutor, James C. [[Backstrom]]: a public reprimand in 2009 and the 2012 reversal. The entry is anchored to a March 2026 presidential action, *Establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud*.[^3] ## Who - **Judge John C. Hoffman** presided over the Beecroft retrial and convicted her of second-degree intentional murder. He found that she "reacted in a panic mode as a result of being a scared, immature and unsupported young girl."[^1] - The **[[Washington County Attorney's Office]]** prosecuted the retrial after the case left the county where it was first prosecuted.[^1] - The State of Minnesota, through the MPCA, is the reported plaintiff in the 2026 PFAS suit against **3M**.[^2] ## When - **September 26, 2013**: Beecroft was convicted at the retrial in Washington County District Court.[^1] - **May 2026**: the MPCA suit against 3M was reported as filed in the court. The report is dated May 24, 2026.[^2] ## Where - The Beecroft retrial was moved to Washington County District Court. The case was handed to the Washington County Attorney's Office instead of the office that brought the original prosecution.[^1] - The 3M suit, as reported, concerns continuing PFAS contamination of groundwater and the Mississippi River from [[Cottage Grove]]. It involves 47 industrial and stormwater outfalls.[^2] ## How - In *State v. Beecroft*, 813 N.W.2d 814 (Minn. 2012), decided May 23, 2012, the Minnesota Supreme Court reversed Beecroft's first-degree premeditated murder conviction. It remanded the case for a new trial in the interests of justice. The retrial then took place in Washington County District Court, where the conviction was reduced to second-degree intentional murder.[^1] - As reported, the 3M suit seeks: - expanded groundwater extraction; - injunctive relief; - natural resource damages. The report states that a 2018 release does not bar the suit, because the contamination at issue was discovered in 2020.[^2] ## How much - The 3M suit seeks civil penalties of up to $30,000 per violation per day, according to the report.[^2] ## In the at-issue record - **AI-Dakota-003 (2009–2013).** The entry states that the same conduct was adjudicated twice: discipline in 2009 and reversal in 2012. - **2009 discipline.** In *In re Petition for Disciplinary Action against James C. Backstrom*, No. A09-861 (June 23, 2009), the Minnesota Supreme Court publicly reprimanded Backstrom under Minn. R. Prof. Conduct 8.4(d) and ordered $900 in costs. Backstrom admitted the allegations. - **Underlying conduct.** Backstrom had emailed the [[Dakota County Medical Examiner]], Dr. Lindsey Thomas. He threatened to withdraw support for her appointment unless she barred her subordinates from defense work. - **2012 reversal.** The Court held that the emails were "substantial interference" with the defendant's right to present witnesses. - **Retrial.** The case was then retried in Washington County District Court, and the conviction was reduced to second-degree murder.[^1] - **Sentence.** The entry states that the mandatory life sentence "disappeared with the venue." - **Anchor.** The entry is anchored to the March 2026 presidential action establishing a task force to eliminate fraud. The record shows the venue change and the reduced conviction. It does not adjudicate the anchor's application to this case.[^3] ## Notes [^1]: Star Tribune, *Oakdale mom again found guilty of killing newborn baby* (Sept. 2013) — retrial in Washington County District Court before Judge John C. Hoffman; conviction of second-degree intentional murder, reduced from first-degree, on September 26, 2013. https://www.startribune.com/oakdale-mom-again-found-guilty-of-killing-newborn-baby/225572212 [^2]: Pioneer Press via *Spokesman-Review*, *Minnesota sues 3M again over PFAS pollution* (May 24, 2026) — MPCA suit filed in Washington County District Court over PFAS contamination from Cottage Grove; outfalls, penalties and relief sought. https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/may/24/minnesota-sues-3m-again-over-pfas-pollution/ [^3]: The White House, *Establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud* (March 2026) — the federal instrument to which at-issue entry AI-Dakota-003 is anchored. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/establishing-the-task-force-to-eliminate-fraud/