Nov: 23, 2014

St. Cloud Criminal Law Attorney Needed for Man Facing 18 Year Felony Sentence

Corey Becker pleaded guilty to attempted first–degree murder and to one count of kidnapping. He broke into a man’s house in St. Cloud. He then beat him and choked the victim. Becker had never been inside the man’s home before. Becker also did not know the victim. Becker stated that he did not remember the incident because he was drunk. He broke in around 3:30 a.m. and went into the man’s bedroom. He grabbed him by the throat and said, “you are the devil, and you need to die.” The man almost passed out from being choked. But was able to escape from his bathroom window. Becker also demanded sex from the man. The victim went to his neighbor’s house and was nude and badly beaten. Becker was found at another residence in the neighborhood. He said he did not know anything about the incident. The prosecutor is asking for an 18-year prison sentence. Becker’s sentencing is scheduled for January 22, 2015.

Dec: 03, 2013

List reveals southeast Minnesota priests accused of sex crimes

Victims of sexual abuse in the church have been trying to get lists of accused priests published for years. Recently, the Diocese of Winona came forward with a list naming 14 priests that may have been involved in the sexual abuse of minors. The list was submitted to a district court in Ramsey County just one day prior to a judge’s established deadline. The formation of the list was part of a judicial order that required Minneapolis and St. Paul churches to release a similar list earlier in the month. That list named 34 priests.

Nov: 03, 2013

Lawsuit may lead to changes in Minnesota’s sex offender policy

Convicted sex offenders face notoriously harsh punishments. In fact, only one person has ever been released in the history of the 19-year-old Minnesota Sex Offender Program. A new lawsuit filed by a sex offender that was committed civilly may determine that this current system is unconstitutional. The 2011 lawsuit is yet to be resolved in federal court; in the meantime, the Minnesota Department of Human Services is starting to consider alternative correction methods that are less restrictive.

Sep: 03, 2013

Sentencing for sex crimes could turn on biased evaluations

The role of a Minneapolis criminal defense lawyer is not always to clear someone’s name; sometimes the evidence of guilt is overwhelming and there is little a criminal defense lawyer can do to free his or her client. That does not mean, however, that a lawyer is useless, but rather the lawyer’s job is to ensure the trial is fair and the punishment is appropriate. For many criminal offenses, including sex crimes, a sentence may depend heavily on the evaluation of a mental health professional. In these cases, part of the lawyer’s job is to make sure that the evaluation is unbiased, because if it is not, the defendant could find him- or herself facing a long sentence in prison.

Jul: 03, 2013

How unique is your hair? The FBI is looking into it

For decades the FBI has been using hair analysis and other forms of DNA testing to aid in the conviction of defendants. The science has certainly helped defendants who are accused of violent crimes, murder and rape to clear their name, too, but the FBI has recently announced that it will be looking into some of its cases to check for faulty science. One of the biggest problems the FBI has had, it seems, is agents making claims about hair analysis that can’t be supported by science. When those statements led to a conviction, it is very possible that the wrong person was convicted.

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.

Mar: 03, 2013

Minnesota Sex Offender Program will change, one way or another

This blog has previously mentioned the Minnesota Sex Offender Program, a program designed to hold former sex offenders after they have finished serving their sentences because the court believes they could be dangerous, and the fact that it has come under scrutiny. Several of the offenders who are trapped in this program have very little hope of getting out and they are arguing that their constitutional rights have been infringed upon.

Dec: 02, 2012

Women accuse doctor of sexual assault during examination

It is many Minneapolis residents’ worst nightmares to be accused of a crime and not have any witnesses to back them up. Imagine being arrested and charged with sexual assault by someone; the first thing to do would be to find people who could say that you are innocent. But, what if you were alone with the accuser and that is when he or she said you committed the assault? What do you do when it is just your word against the accuser’s? Unfortunately, that is the situation that a former Mankato Clinic doctor is now facing.

Dec: 02, 2012

Convictions overturned in alleged Minnesota sex-trafficking ring

Those facing sex crimes charges in Minnesota may find the following story very interesting. More than 30 individuals were alleged to have been involved in a conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children in three states, including Minnesota.

Nov: 02, 2012

St. Paul man on trial for aiding rape of teen, pleads not guilty

One 24-year-old man accused of aiding in the rape of a teenage girl has pled not guilty in a Ramsey County court. According to police, the man, who they claim is part of a gang, was allegedly part of a plot for nine men to rape the victim. The man, however, said that although he knew members of the gang and what sorts of things they do, he is not a part of the gang.

Tag: sex crimes