Criminal Law Blog
Court found MSOP unconstitutional; now the real work begins
In a landmark ruling, a federal judge in June declared that the Minnesota Sex Offender Program unconstitutional. For the hundreds of patients currently confined to the two MSOP facilities, the decision offered some hope. The decision, however, was just the first step....
Minnesota drivers just weeks away from stiffer DWI penalties
The state of Minnesota is about to get even stricter about driving while intoxicated. On Aug. 1, the threshold for gross misdemeanor DWI will drop from 0.20 blood alcohol concentration to 0.16 BAC. A gross misdemeanor carries a sentence of up to one year in jail, a...
A sex crime conviction in Minnesota can stay with you for life
If you or a loved one has been accused of a sex crime, you should know that the state of Minnesota is especially strict with sex offenders. From procedure to penalties, the state does not give an accused any advantages.For example, state law does not require that the...
Right to an Additional Test When Arrested for DWI
If you have been arrested on suspicion of DWI in Minnesota and have submitted to a blood, breath or urine test at the request of law enforcement, then you have a statutory right to obtain an additional, independent test. If law enforcement denies you this right, then...
Informing Jurors of the Consequences of a Guilty Verdict
Evidence of the punishment a defendant will face if convicted of a crime is categorically inadmissible in American trial courts today. The jury is to be the judge of the facts and nothing more. Jurors are not to concern themselves with the possible consequences a...
Fourth of July: Firecrackers and crackdowns on land and water
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has said for years that the Fourth of July is the deadliest day of the year on the roads. It would make more sense for St. Patrick's Day to hold the dubious honor, but there is something about the Fourth of July that increases...
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