Blog
Prior to the Labor Day holiday we discussed the intense law enforcement presence on Minnesota roads seeking to enforce Minnesota drunk driving laws. Events, celebrations and holidays often bring increased patrols, as police think that more people will be out on the roads who may be impaired because of changes in routine associated with an event.
Have you ever noticed in the mirror that your eyes can look watery and bloodshot while you are suffering from the common cold? Do you have allergies? Bloodshot, watery eyes often come up in police reports after a routine traffic stop has been escalated to an investigation into a possible drunk driving case. Minnesota law enforcement officers say that they are trained to note certain indicia of impairment during traffic stops.
For those who have an affinity for civics-class related trivia, today is known as Constitution Day. The U.S Constitution was signed on this date 226 years ago. For many, the concept of the Constitution provides far more than a trivia question for a civics class on September 17 each year. The document provides the framework for our entire society to guarantee our rights and freedoms.
Hennepin County officials say that a Minnesota State trooper suspected a driver of speeding and impaired driving early Monday morning. The trooper says that the driver pulled over for a traffic stop. But, when the trooper approached the vehicle, law enforcement claims that the driver took off.
Historians say that 116 years ago today the first drunk driving arrest was made in England. A cabbie was charged with driving under the influence after allegedly crashing his electric powered cab into a building in 1897. Since that time, many people have been accused of driving while impaired. Individual states here in the U.S. began passing DWI laws after the turn of the last century as cars gained in popularity.
When someone in Minneapolis is arrested, convicted and sent to jail, the expectation is that when they make parole, that they will remain out of trouble. Unfortunately, the terms of parole can be incredibly difficult to follow, especially for those people who do not have family members to help them or a home in which to live. And if a parolee cannot fulfill the terms of his or her parole, he or she will be arrested and sent back to jail.
Last month we talked about Attorney General Eric Holder’s announcement that the Obama administration was working toward reducing and eliminating draconian sentecing, often caused by mandatory minimum sentences. Especially prevalent with federal drug crimes, nonviolent, first-time offenders are sent to prison for years. For one woman serving time in Waseca, her mother questions why her sentence had to be so long.
Most people in Eagan recognize that a sexual assault charge is incredibly serious and a conviction would come with a long prison sentence and potentially a lifetime on the Minnesota Sex Offender Registry. With this in mind, it may seem ridiculous to think that anyone would enter a guilty plea on a charge of rape unless he or she actually raped someone. Yet 38 percent of juveniles who are convicted and later exonerated were found to enter false confessions. So when a teenager pleads guilty to any crime, what does he or she actually mean?