Blog
For most Minnesota high schools, prom season has already come and gone. But the risks of underage drinking, DWI arrests and crashes are still upon us. Why? Because high school graduations are just around the corner. In fact, Hopkins seniors graduate today, and next week, it is Minnetonka seniors’ turns to say goodbye to their high school careers.
One Minnesota defendant claims that mental incapacity following the DWI crash he caused led him to leave the scene. The Star Tribune reports that yesterday, the Minnesota jury didn’t buy that defense.
According to sources, baseball stadiums across the country have reported an increase in the amount and severity of rowdy behavior during professional sports games. It is believed that this increase has been caused in part by alcohol consumption and the influx of younger, college-aged fans who have been frequenting the stadiums.
It’s not easy for any parent or loved one to lose a family member or friend. It is natural to look for someone to blame in such instances, and sometimes that blame is just. If someone owed a responsibility to someone and their negligence leads to death, then the courts will often hold negligent parties accountable, criminally, civilly or both.
It all basically started with a windshield. A crack in a Burnsville woman’s windshield prompted what has become a debated DWI and assault case. It’s gone through the district court and recently was heard and ruled upon by the Court of Appeals of Minnesota.
A reminder for travelers drinking and flying: maybe do your drinking after you get on the plane. Earlier this weekend, a Minneapolis flyer was arrested when she had the police called on her for being extremely intoxicated while waiting to board a plane at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. Not only was she not allowed to board her flight, she was also taken in to custody. The police planned to merely send her to Detox to sleep it off. But, that was not good enough for her.
In this time of economic hardship, it isn’t surprising that Minnesota lawmakers are debating whether to allow liquor sales on Sundays. Most states already allow this, with Minnesota being one of the only 13 states left to take on the more progressive business option regarding alcohol.
Recently, Hennepin County District Court Judge Mark Wernick sentenced a driver to four years in prison for Criminal Vehicular Homicide, even though it was dark and rainy out at the time the driver accidentally struck a pedestrian. John R. Peterson, the 23 year old driver, was convicted of Criminal Vehicular Homicide for accidentally running over Kandyce Stoffel. The victim was also 23 at the time, and was walking in the road in Dinkytown, a section of Minneapolis, Minnesota near the University of Minnesota, at the time of the crash.