Driver Sentenced to 4 years for Criminal Vehicular Homicide (CVH)

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.  Stoffel was forced to walk in the street with her companions because the sidewalk was closed due to construction.

If you need an attorney to defend you against serious felony charges carrying a guidelines sentence of year in prison like this case, contact an experienced felony criminal defense attorney like Max A. Keller who has obtained felony sentencing departures in the past for his clients:  Call us now at (952) 913-1421

Max Keller has won countless jury trial cases involving misdemeanors and felonies, sex crimes, and DWI’s. He is a member of the Minnesota Society for Criminal Justice, which only allows the top 50 criminal defense attorneys in the state as members. Max is a frequent speaker at CLE’s and is often asked for advice by other defense attorneys across Minnesota.

Experience: Practicing since 1997
Minnesota Registration Status: Active
Bar & Court Admissions: State of Minnesota Minnesota State Court Minnesota Federal Court 8th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals State of Maryland

Recent Posts

What Is the Exclusionary Rule in a Criminal Case?

So, what is the exclusionary rule, and how does it apply to your case? The exclusionary rule is a court-driven rule that takes effect when evidence in a criminal case is unlawfully obtained. In your case, a court might use the exclusionary rule if the illegally obtained evidence helped the officers get other pieces of evidence they would not have found otherwise.  The secondary evidence subject to the exclusionary rule is referred to as the fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine. The exclusionary rule borrows its reasoning from constitutional rights. So, it applies to criminal cases as a deterrent and remedy rather than a standalone constitutional right.

What Happens If You Violate Probation in Minnesota?

People who suspect that they have violated probation or are already facing a violation charge might ask, “What happens if you violate probation?” A probation violation in Minneapolis, Minnesota could result in a range of consequences, depending on the type and severity of the violation. Those consequences include reprimand from probation officers, enhanced supervision and stricter conditions, and probation revocation and incarceration.