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There is a gut reaction that many people in Minnesota have to fatal pedestrian accidents. When a pedestrian is hit, most people will say the driver is automatically at fault and should face serious criminal charges. In some cases, this is true and the driver will be charged with vehicular homicide. In many other cases, however, it is the pedestrian’s fault that he or she was hit. However regrettable a fatal pedestrian accident is, a driver cannot be held criminally liable for the pedestrian’s death if it is the pedestrian’s fault.
Minneapolis basketball fans may have heard that the NBA’s players’ association executive director is coming under fire after a number of missteps were reported in a review that was initiated by the union president.
A Minnesota State trooper says that he clocked a car driving six miles over the speed limit on 394 near Penn Avenue November 26. The driver reportedly took the Penn Avenue North exit, but the trooper claims that the driver failed to use a turn signal before exiting the freeway. The alleged minor traffic infractions pale in comparison to the gross misdemeanor DWI and the felony drug charges that the driver now faces after the so-called routine traffic stop.
In July 2011, Minnesota’s DWI and implied consent laws were changed for drivers who test 0.16 percent blood alcohol concentration or more. The higher alcohol level essentially extends the length of a license revocation associated with a DWI arrest. For instance, a first time DWI offender who measures 0.16 percent BAC or greater will have his or her driver’s license revoked for a full year. Drivers cannot obtain a work permit under the law, unless the driver agrees to have an ignition interlock device installed.
Police in Rosemount, Minnesota reportedly fielded a complaint December 2 around 3:00 in the morning. The caller complained of loud music and squealing tires during the early morning hours. An officer responded to the location and says he waited for backup to arrive. However, the officer says that as he stood in the street, a man got out of a pickup truck parked in the driveway. Police claim that the man ran toward the house, and the officer followed the man inside the home.
The manager of a Walmart store in Oak Park Heights called police around 8:00 in the morning November 25 to report a trio of allegedly unruly teens. The manager claims that the teens were asked to leave the store several times that morning before police were called in. In the end, all three teens are facing underage drinking charges from the allegations at the store. In addition, Oak Park Heights Police claim that the mother of one of the kids arrived to pick up her son. Based upon the officers’ observations at the store, the mother is now also facing alcohol-related charges for driving while impaired.
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.
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.