Feb: 21, 2014

U.S. Supreme Court: No drug dogs on private property without warrant

The Fourth Amendment protects people in Minneapolis from unreasonable search and seizure. This means that law enforcement cannot simply walk into people’s homes, stop them on the street or pull them over for a traffic violation without a warrant.

Feb: 20, 2014

Is a plea bargain the right choice?

Every day, people in Minneapolis are arrested and charged with committing a crime. Many are unfamiliar with the workings of the judicial system and the arrest, processing and filing of charges can be overwhelming. This can encourage people accused of domestic violence, murder or even DWI, to agree to a plea bargain.

Feb: 19, 2014

Fugitive chase in Minneapolis ends with capture

A conviction for a criminal act in Minneapolis does not always mean that a person is going to spend time behind bars. The presiding judge often has several penalty options to choose from, depending on the type, and severity, of the crime committed.

Mar: 03, 2013

3 defendants plead guilty to murder, sentenced to prison

It is a common misconception that the role of a criminal defense attorney is to acquit an individual of the charge with which he or she has been charged. Yes, at times criminal defense attorneys can clear their clients’ names and reputations, getting charges thrown out, but just as often the role of a lawyer is to mitigate a sentence and protect his or her client’s rights during a trial. So, when Minneapolis residents read cases of a defendant pleading guilty or being sentenced to prison, it is not necessarily because the attorney failed in his or her job.

Mar: 03, 2013

Minneapolis’s high rape statistics are misleading

Many people in Minneapolis are likely aware that the number of rapes reported within the city are much higher than any other city in the country. What they may not know, however, is that the Minneapolis Police Department has been reporting far more crimes than just rapes to the FBI. For at least the past eight years, the Minneapolis Police Department has been operating under a much broader definition of rape than what has been requested by the FBI for its statistical comparisons.

Feb: 02, 2013

Minnesota law supposedly contributes to insurance fraud

Anyone in St. Paul who has been in a car accident knows that Minnesota is a no fault state, meaning that an insurance company will pay any bill related to an accident, no matter who causes the accident. While this helps to protect people who might otherwise be unable to cover their medical costs following an accident, some people are saying the policy is also contributing to insurance fraud, a felony under Minnesota law.

Feb: 02, 2013

Briefs filed in Amy Senser’s vehicular homicide appeal

When we last talked about Amy Senser, she had just been convicted of hitting someone with her car and leaving the scene of the accident. She was sentenced to 3 1/2 years for her two convictions of criminal vehicular homicide, but in December, her attorney filed an appeal with the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Now, the assistant Hennepin County attorney has filed his brief supporting the Senser’s conviction and Senser’s attorney has 15 days to file his.

Dec: 02, 2012

Young man convicted of second-degree murder in Minneapolis

To be charged with and convicted of murder is extremely serious. For anyone in Minneapolis who has been accused of committing murder or is a suspect in a murder investigation, it is of the utmost importance to contact and work with a criminal defense lawyer to stand a chance of proving his or her innocence. Not taking the charge seriously could easily result in a conviction and a long prison sentence.

Dec: 02, 2012

Former police lieutenant convicted of theft and forgery charges

A former Minneapolis police lieutenant was convicted in December on one charge of theft by swindle and four charges of forgery stemming from an incident that happened three years ago. She will be sentenced Feb. 5.

Sep: 02, 2012

Minnesota officers will not be charged for offering marijuana

A number of police officers in Minnesota will not face criminal charges after they were accused by activists of giving marijuana to members of the Occupy Minneapolis movement. After a documentary was released of officers allegedly giving drugs to individuals in Peavey Plaza, there were some who were calling for criminal charges to be filed against the officers involved.

Tag: Minneapolis