Category: Criminal Defense

3 defendants plead guilty to murder, sentenced to prison

It is a common misconception that the role of a criminal defense attorney is to acquit an individual of the charge with which he or she has been charged. Yes, at times criminal defense attorneys can clear their clients’ names and reputations, getting charges thrown out, but just as often the role of a lawyer is to mitigate a sentence and protect his or her client’s rights during a trial. So, when Minneapolis residents read cases of a defendant pleading guilty or being sentenced to prison, it is not necessarily because the attorney failed in his or her job.

How high should bond be set for drunk driving?

When someone in Minneapolis is arrested for felony drunk driving, he or she will still likely be able to leave and remain at home until his or her trial. Only if the suspect refuses to or is unable to afford bond would he be stuck in a jail cell until he or she is able to appear in court. With a potentially long wait, it is likely that most people will pay the bond if they can.

Prosecutors insist on trying man on 26-year-old charge

People in Minneapolis have certainly heard of cold cases, but many likely assume that cold cases involve murder, rape or some kind of other crime that has a victim and carries a certain degree of grief. Something like driving under the influence of alcohol, especially if it did not include a car accident or injuries, seems somewhat silly to prosecute years after it allegedly happened.

The blurry line between entrapment and law enforcement

It goes without saying that law enforcement, both local Minneapolis and St. Paul police forces and the FBI, are tasked with keeping us safe. Since 9/11, the FBI has been actively involved in searching for and stopping homegrown terrorists, so much so that anti-terrorism initiatives now compose the majority of the FBI’s budget. Although it is important that the federal government takes its responsibilities so seriously, the tactics the FBI uses could be seen as entrapment.

St. Paul man charged with alcohol related CVH

Ramsey County prosecutors filed felony charges against a St. Paul man Friday after he was allegedly involved in a fatal accident at Arlington Avenue and Hazelwood Street early Friday morning. Police claim that the 21-year-old ran a red light at 30 miles per hour over the speed limit before crashing into a parked car. The young man reportedly had three passengers in his Honda Civic when the accident occurred, according to police.

Police accuse NW Minnesota man of stealing bus while drunk

Police in Northwestern Minnesota responded to a homeless shelter last week to investigate a report of a man who allegedly caused a disturbance to the home. Moorhead Police claim that the man had relieved himself on the front door and engaged in some other kind of conduct that created a ruckus. While police were en route, authorities say that a YMCA bus was parked in the lot outside the home, with its engine running.

Richfield man accused of felony CVO in Bloomington

The Minnesota State Patrol says that troopers responded to a rollover car accident at the Interstate 494 and I-35W interchange Saturday night. It is not clear from media reports what occurred to cause the rollover, nor are there any details about the potential accident victims. While troopers were on the scene of the crash, authorities claim that a 39-year-old Richfield man sideswiped one squad car before crashing into the rear-end of a second squad.

Briefs filed in Amy Senser’s vehicular homicide appeal

When we last talked about Amy Senser, she had just been convicted of hitting someone with her car and leaving the scene of the accident. She was sentenced to 3 1/2 years for her two convictions of criminal vehicular homicide, but in December, her attorney filed an appeal with the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Now, the assistant Hennepin County attorney has filed his brief supporting the Senser’s conviction and Senser’s attorney has 15 days to file his.

Northfield man sentenced on Lakeville gross misdemeanor DWI charge

Last summer, a Lakeville Police officer says that he drove past a Lakeville sports bar several times while on patrol. The officer says that he noticed a man sitting in a green Jeep parked in the bar’s parking lot on three separate occasions as the cop drove past the bar.

Prosecutors refuse to charge man with vehicular homicide

There is a gut reaction that many people in Minnesota have to fatal pedestrian accidents. When a pedestrian is hit, most people will say the driver is automatically at fault and should face serious criminal charges. In some cases, this is true and the driver will be charged with vehicular homicide. In many other cases, however, it is the pedestrian’s fault that he or she was hit. However regrettable a fatal pedestrian accident is, a driver cannot be held criminally liable for the pedestrian’s death if it is the pedestrian’s fault.