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Child molestation convictions come with harsh penalties in Minnesota

A cult leader in Minnesota came under fire earlier this year when he was accused of abusing two girls in the community. According to Fox Twin Cities, the pastor fled the state but has been charged with 59 counts of sexual misconduct, including child molestation. The women accusing him of the behavior said that when they were 12 and 13 years old, they moved in with him and a number of other girls. They claim they were abused for a period of 10 years. A criminal defense attorney Minneapolis defendants can trust will be an essential part of this man’s case.

Federal judges can issue sentences for crimes for which you have not been convicted

In 2007, three men were convicted of selling somewhere between 2 and 11 grams of cocaine. According to The National Law Journal, all three men were acquitted of several other charges that implied they were part of a drug conspiracy and committed white collar crimes such as racketeering. Despite the acquittal on those charges, a U.S. District Court judge said he saw “clear evidence” of conspiracy and sentenced each of the men to between 15 and 18 years of prison time.

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.

Federal Case Made Out of Fish Goes to U.S. Supreme Court, Fisherman Needs Criminal Justice Attorney

John Yates is a fisherman who was out on the water with his crew. He was fishing for grouper in the Gulf of Mexico. Officer Jones boarded the boat to check the sizes of the fish. Jones believed that the fisherman were keeping fish smaller than the 20-inch minimum. Jones found 72 grouper that were under the 20 inch minimum. Jones ordered the fish off the boat to check them once on main land. When the boat came on the mainland, Jones did not think the fish were the same fish he saw on the boat and thought Yates tossed the fish overboard and replaced them with larger fish.

Child Neglect Charges: Criminal Attorney in St. Paul, MN Needed by Man Who Left Child in Car on Hot Day

Alexander Rupp was just charged with child neglect in St. Paul, MN. Child neglect is a gross misdemeanor in Minnesota and carries up to one year in jail and or a $3,000 fine. Rupp left his 3-year-old daughter inside his car in August 2014.  The temperate on the day in question was about 74 degrees.  Mendota Heights police found the child locked inside the car. She was sweating and wiping her forehead. The officer smashed the window to the car to unlock the door. Once making contact with the child, the officer noticed that the child had warm skin.  Rupp told police that when he arrived and parked, he got into an argument with his daughter so he decided to leave her in the vehicle. He admitted that he shouldn’t have brought her and that he should have left the car running.

Viking’s Adrian Peterson Pleads Guilty to Assault of Son

Minnesota Vikings NFL star running back Adrian Peterson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of reckless assault. Peterson will avoid jail time and pay a $4,000 fine and court costs. He will also have to do 80 hours of community service. Peterson will also be on probation. If he successfully completes probation, he will avoid having this on his record. He was originally charged with felony reckless or negligent injury to a child for hitting his son with a wooden tree branch.

Adrian Peterson accused of Violating Release Conditions

Adrian Peterson admitted that he smoked marijuana before taking a drug test last week.  He told the courthouse employee that he “smoked a little weed” prior to giving his urine sample. One of his conditions of release was to refrain from using illegal drugs. He posted a $15,000 bond in his felony child abuse case in Texas. The prosecutor is now trying to get his bail revoked and increased because Peterson violated his conditions of release. This would mean that he would be arrested again. Peterson’s conditions of release are broad and have no direct link to the facts of the case he was charged with.

Is fingerprint evidence ever reliable?

Three Philadelphia men were accused of running a drug ring that was linked to a number of murders. According to ABC News, attorneys for the men sought to bar fingerprint evidence from the trial. A district court judge ruled that examiners cannot provide testimony alleging that prints found at a crime scene are a match to a defendant’s prints. The judge noted that there is not enough scientific evidence to establish that fingerprints are reliable.