By Lori EhdeFor 15 years, attorney Terry Vajgrt has worked to prosecute crime in Rock County District Court.Now, he’s making a career move that will put him on the other side of the courtroom, representing clients accused of crimes."Change is good for everyone," he said about his decision. "I really do enjoy my work here, but I have a real strong desire to experience something new."As of April 6, Vajgrt will become a public defender in Nobles County, working in the jail and courthouse in Worthington.On the outset it appears he’ll be working for the "other side," but he said fair representation is necessary for both prosecution and defense."I do look at both roles as being necessary parts of the criminal justice system," Vajgrt said. "I know there will be times when advocating for a client will present challenges on a personal level, but I bring one party’s interest to the attention of the judge and jury. … There’s equal value in both roles."According to statute, public defenders are assigned to clients who cannot afford to pay for attorneys on their own."I see value in representing that portion of the population that can't otherwise afford an attorney," Vajgrt said. "Everyone accused of a crime should have an advocate in the criminal justice system."He said, unlike television portrayal of criminal defense attorneys, his work won't be about "getting people off Scott free.""Most people charged with committing a crime have done so, and the system holds them accountable when the evidence is sufficient," Vajgrt said. "In most instances, the role of a defense attorney involves educating the client about likely outcomes, the importance of following through with probationary requirements ... and getting the right information to the judge so he or she can make a reasoned decision at sentencing."Doing the right thingHe said his decision was also politically and socially motivated. "As a society, it seems to me we are becoming more indifferent to the needs of the poor," Vajgrt said. "Tax cuts targeted toward those least in need of additional resources take priority over affordable healthcare, day care assistance for single parents and livable wages for people that work as hard or harder than I do."He recognizes he's not able to remedy all social ills, but he said he wants to help where he can."I can do my part to ensure that people without financial resources receive a fair shake in the criminal justice system."Big shoes to fillMeanwhile, the County Attorney's Office of Skewes, Klosterbuer and Vajgrt will make arrangements to fill Vajgrt's shoes."We'll probably have to finally change our name," said Attorney Don Klosterbuer, "since two-thirds of our name will no longer apply."He and attorney Jeff Haubrich will work together to handle what had been Vajgrt's county work: criminal prosecutions, child protection orders, search warrants, etc., until another attorney can be hired at the firm."Obviously Terry did wonderful work. He was very, very good at it. But I want people to know it's not the end of the firm as far as this work is concerned," Klosterbuer said. "That's a real important message. We did all these things before Terry got here, and we'll do these things after he's gone."On a personal note, though, Klosterbuer said he'll miss Vajgrt in the office. "Not only is he my partner, he's also a good friend," he said.Klosterbuer isn't the only one who will miss Vajgrt.Staff in both the Sheriff's Department and Family Services described Terry's announcement as "sad news."‘Rational’ mannerInvestigator Jeff Wieneke has worked with Vajgrt on cases for most of the past 15 years."He’s so easy to work with," Wieneke said. "It’s his demeanor. He never seems to get upset about anything. ... That’s saying something, considering the county prosecuting attorney handles a gamut of sensitive cases, including sexual assaults to children."He said Vajgrt's performance in the courtroom is exceptional. "I’ve sat in on lots of testimonial hearings, and he handles himself so calm and professional in front of the jury," Wieneke said. "He always seems to approach things in a rational manner."He said Rock County is going to feel Vajgrt's absence. "We rely on him to answer questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Wieneke said. "We could call him at 3 in the morning and some people would be upset about that, but not Terry. He always handled it well."Committed to childrenNancy Lange, social services supervisor at Rock County Family Services, echoed Wieneke's sentiments."He is truly amazing. We are very fortunate in Rock County to have had the level of legal counsel we've had with regard to the safety and well-being of kids," she said about Vajgrt. "He's totally committed to the children of Rock County, and he's not afraid to go to the extent of terminating parental rights if it's in the interest of the kids."She said Rock County's a better place for children because of Vajgrt's work."I'm very proud to have worked with him," Lange said. "He's a very unique individual."Good people to work withLooking back on 15 years of prosecuting crime in Rock County, Vajgrt agreed this has been a priority for him."I'm most proud of our work protecting children," he said. "Both in the child protection context and in prosecuting those accused of crimes against children."For example, he prosecuted one sexual assault involving a child resulting in a 30-year sentence for the defendant.In his early years on the job, Vajgrt took training in Minneapolis to learn how to conduct forensic sexual abuse interviews with children, and Rock County became the first in southwest Minnesota to secure a criminal sexual conduct conviction with DNA evidence."I'll miss the people I work with in law enforcement and child protection," he said. "There's no question these professional relationships have made the work so much more enjoyable and rewarding."Vajgrt attended Tuesday's County Board meeting to announce his plans."I look around at this board and see people I like and have formed friendships with and that is rare," he said.Commissioner Jane Wildung shared sentiments from county employees who said they enjoyed working with Vajgrt. "They appreciated the compassion and care in which you delivered your services," she said.Embracing changeHe said his new work will allow him more time in the courtroom, something he prefers over civil cases. "I love the process of using language to persuade," he said, "and being in court is so challenging and exciting."His public defense work will be three-quarters time, and he’ll continue teaching classes in the criminal justice program of Colorado Technical University, Sioux Falls. In addition, he’ll take on some private legal work, primarily in criminal cases, with an office out of his rural home northeast of Luverne. "This will hopefully allow time for more driveway basketball with the kids," he said. He and his wife, Michele, have three boys, all in Luverne Elementary School. "She's been very supportive," he said about Michele. "She's bright and intelligent, and if it weren't for her, I wouldn't have the opportunity to try this."They'll continue to live in Rock County. "We love Luverne, and we love the schools and we love our church (First Presbyterian)," he said.