Category: Criminal Defense

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.

Minnesota man faces murder charges after infant son dies in his care

In late August, a Minnesota man brought his 2-month-old son to a hospital in Albany, Minnesota in Stearns County. According to CBS Minnesota, the man and the infant’s mother told hospital workers that the boy was seizing and having trouble breathing. The baby was airlifted to another hospital for treatment, and staff suspected that he had been abused. The father admitted to law enforcement that he had fallen while holding the baby, but a board certified abuse physician said the injuries were not consistent with the way the man said he fell.

Adrian Peterson Demands a Speedy Trial, Which Can Help Minnesota Defendants Win their Criminal Case

Adrian Peterson made a speedy trial demand in his child abuse case. He will likely have his trial in November or December. He cannot play football until the case is over. He was suspended from the Minnesota Vikings for a child abuse allegations in Texas. In Minnesota, you can demand a speedy trial at any time during the court proceedings. A trial date has to be given to you within 60 days of the speedy trial demand. If not given within the 60-day period, there may be grounds for dismissal or appeal. Keller Criminal Defense Attorneys has won multiple cases where a speedy trial demand was made.

How will the new Minnesota expungement law work?

A Detroit woman was arrested during a peaceful protest for a health care demonstration. According to The Wall Street Journal, the charges against her were dropped. However, when she sought employment, she was denied because she could not locate the paperwork showing that she was never convicted and the charges were dismissed. She said the record of her arrest continues to haunt her years after the incident.

When does Minnesota consider a crime aggravated?

A University of Minnesota student waited at a bus stop in early September. According to Minnesota Daily, a man joined her at the stop and, after a few moments, told her to hand over her belongings. The young woman said she could see there was something under his sweatshirt, but she determined that he did not have a gun. The man grabbed her book bag and fled. A passerby was able to retrieve the bag and noticed that the weapon the man had was a screwdriver. The man fled the scene.

What types of evidence can be used against you?

In 2010, a man was charged with threatening federal officers with a gun. The Legal Intelligencer reports that the agents were in an unmarked car performing surveillance in an area known for heavy drug activity. The man claimed he was concerned for his safety, and he was unaware the men were federal officers. He then walked toward the car holding a gun and was subsequently arrested, convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison

What does it mean to be found incompetent?

In August, a 33-year-old Minnesota man led local officials on a 30-mile high-speed chase. According to the Red Lake Nation News, law enforcement noticed the man driving nearly 20 miles an hour over the speed limit on the highway. When troopers attempted to pull over the driver, he accelerated and, according to law enforcement, was swerving into oncoming traffic. Eventually, the man lost control of the vehicle, got out of the car and started threatening officers, who eventually placed him under arrest.

Understanding prosecutorial misconduct

In 1983, two teenagers were accused of rape and murder. The Huffington Post reported that the two young men, both mentally handicapped, admitted to the crime but later recanted the confessions and stated that they were coerced. However, a jury found the young men guilty, and they spent three decades in prison before their convictions were overturned.