Are Wendy and Judd Hoff's legal problems, stemming from charges of theft of signs in 2024, coming to an end? Mr. Hoff, readers may remember, was the endorsed DFL candidate challenging incumbent Mary Franson, R-Alexandria, in the 2024 election.
Looks like it. The Alexandria Echo Press reported Thursday morning, Felony theft charge dropped in Wendy Hoff case involving signs:
ALEXANDRIA — The charge relating to the alleged theft of hundreds of signs has been dismissed against Wendy Hoff
The action was taken March 11 in Douglas County District Court.
According to a document filed that day, the dismissal was based upon the exercise of prosecutorial discretion, and the matter is being referred to the city attorney's office for further consideration. Prosecutorial discretion allows public prosecutors a wide latitude to decide whether or not to charge a person for a crime.
Related charges against Wendy Hoff's husband, Judd Hoff, have not been dismissed as of press time.
According to a press release issued last year on Aug. 8, more than 240 signs were recovered at the Hoffs' address.
The signs included political campaign signs, real estate signs, special events and advertising.
The search warrant reads that the signs were both large and small and included those advertising Donald Trump, Gov. Tim Walz, Calvary Lutheran, Art in the Park, Casey's Amusement, ReMax, the Vikingland Parade, Legacy of the Lakes, Hoffman Produce and many others.
Wendy Hoff was cited as a suspect in multiple thefts before being charged with felony theft last August. . . .
Read the rest at the Echo Press.
Some back story: in August 2024, Bluestem posted in Updated! Alex police recover over 240 signs at home on 2700 block of Le Homme Dieu Heights:
On Saturday, KARE 11's Lou Raguse reported in People react to theft of 244 yard signs in Alexandria, allegedly by political candidate's wife:
Wendy Hoff faces one misdemeanor charge so far as the county attorney reviews the bizarre case.
. . .A worker at a local gun shop saw a woman snatching political signs from the lawn outside and said he snapped a photo she posed for before driving away with the signs in her van.
"They're mad. They're frustrated," said Alexandria Police Chief Scott Kent.
Kent said his department put together a number of similar reports describing the same suspect stealing signs. They wrote a search warrant, raided the suspect's home, and say they found 244 lawn signs in the garage — from realtor ads and political signs to random garage sales.
"It was pretty much non-discriminatory," Kent said.
The suspect is Wendy Hoff, who has been charged with misdemeanor theft in one of the cases while the county attorney decides how to handle the rest.
She's the wife of Judd Hoff, the local DFL-endorsed candidate running for Minnesota House of Representatives against his neighbor, Republican Mary Franson.
. . .At the Alexandria Echo Press, Celeste Edenloff reported 240 signs, including political campaign signs, seized in search warrant of an Alexandria home The house is located in the 2700 block of Le Homme Dieu Heights.
Over at the Voice of Alexandria radio station, there's Search warrant results in over 240 signs being recovered at area home. Mark Anthony reports:
(Alexandria, MN)--On Wednesday, the Alexandria Police Department executed a search warrant in the 2700 block of Le Homme Dieu Heights in Alexandria. This investigation has spanned over several months and there are dozens of reports of stolen signs; the signs include political campaign signs, real estate signs, special events, and advertising. Officials will be working with the victims of the stolen signs to return them and get them back to their rightful owner.
Law enforcement says there were over 240 signs recovered at the search warrant and this will take some time to contact all the victims and return them. They say to please be patient with us as this is an ongoing investigation and we are working as quickly as we can to return the signs to the victims.
As of this time, no arrests made. However, reports are being sent to the county attorney's office for review.
Bluestem will keep an eye open for any developments in this story.
Photo: Judd and Wendy Hoff. Source KFGO.
Related posts
- Updated! Alex police recover over 240 signs at home on 2700 block of Le Homme Dieu Heights
- News digest: DFL House District 12B Judd Hoff endorsement wasn't a winner.
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It would be nice to be privy to exactly what the extremely vague "prosecutorial discretion" bit means. This is a public official, not a private attorney.
But oh well. These two have a deep-seated, long-standing habit of getting into trouble, so we'll undoubtedly hear from them again.
Posted by: Jay | Mar 13, 2025 at 04:42 PM