Man charged in Minneapolis’s first apparent homicide of 2012

A witness has told police that while he and three other men were smoking methamphetamine earlier this month, one man pulled out a gun and shot another man and shot at the third individual before fleeing to another hotel. Police subsequently arrested a 33-year-old man and have charged him with second-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder after the individual who had been shot died. If the 33-year-old receives a felony conviction, he could be facing considerable time in prison.

Felony crimes are extremely serious and being classified as convicted felon will follow you around well after you get out of prison. Whether it affects your ability to find a job, a place to live or who is willing to associate with you, a criminal record will affect you for the rest of your life. Because being convicted of a felony can have such serious ramifications, it is crucial that anyone accused of a felony contact a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible.

The 33-year-old that has been charged with murder seems to have become the focus of police attention after a room of meth-influenced witnesses claimed he was the one that shot another drug user. It is unknown, however, if police have any other evidence from possibly more credible witnesses that link this man to the incident. Although the suspect allegedly told police that he shot at the two men, it is unknown under what conditions the man was interrogated and whether he really knew his right to silence before he waived it.

According to the compliant, the suspect shot at the two men after they were talking about things that made him nervous.

The Pioneer Press reports that this incident is the first homicide in Minneapolis this year.

Source: Pioneer Press, “Man charged in shooting death at Minneapolis hotel,” Brady Gervais, Feb. 14, 2012

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.

Years of Experience: Approx. 20 years
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

What to Do If You Have Been Charged with a Criminal Offense

Stay calm and compose after getting accused of a crime but not charged in Minneapolis, MN. Do not discuss the facts of your case with anyone, including your relatives and family members. Hire a criminal defense attorney with a demonstrated record of winning cases like yours. Your attorney will discuss your rights, guide you on how to cooperate with law enforcement within the legal boundaries, and build a solid defense strategy to fight the charges you could face in the future.
Expungement and sealing of records in Minnesota affect how your criminal history appears to government agencies and the public. The main difference between the two legal actions is that expungement permanently removes past arrests, criminal charges, or convictions from private and public databases, while sealing hides the criminal record from the public. Courts, government entities, and law enforcement agencies can access sealed criminal records.
Minnesota recently passed a public safety bill that brings sweeping changes to the state’s juvenile justice system. While minors sometimes run afoul of the law, the juvenile justice system seeks to account for the differences between children and adults. Therefore, while the penalties for adults convicted of crimes focus on punishment, those for juveniles are aimed at diversion and restorative practices.