WINONA, Minn. The four-term Winona County attorney Karin Sonneman confirmed earlier news that she will retire in January. Sonneman, age 68, made her plans official in a letter to the public: “I hope to stay active with volunteering in the community, spending more time with friends and family, and taking longer walks with my dogs.” Her most public visibility was coordinating the complex prosecution of Adam Fravel for murder in 2024. Sonneman is now prosecuting the Baby Angel infanticide case. She has had occasional critics. In 2023 she was accused of Old Boyism in a drunken-driving case against City Council member George Borzyskowski. She responded by pointing to her record in similar cases, noting the low level of intoxication, prompt remorse, and a commitment to counseling. Sonneman has defended the endless cases against the County Board from the Daley dairy farm at Lewiston over zoning and environmental issues. Early in her career Sonneman was a Winona County public defender. She pioneered the multi-agency Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to reduce recidivism.. More recently she has been president of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association and a member of the state Attorney General’s conviction review unit.
Sonneman. First elected Wiina County attorney in 2010.