Blog
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.
A recent Minnesota criminal case opens up an opportunity for us to discuss drunk driving laws throughout Hennepin County and the rest of the state. Specifically, we’d like to explain what it takes to turn a DWI charge into felony status.
There are various theories that swirl around when it comes to teaching kids the rights and wrongs about alcohol use. According to a Minnesota study, it seems like at least one popular theory can be ruled out.
For most people, driving is a necessity. We need to drive to get to work, to go to the grocery store and run various other errands – that includes Minnesota DWI offenders who have had their licenses pulled. That’s apparently why so many DWI offenders whose licenses are suspended wind up driving anyway.