Page 73 – Keller Criminal Defense Attorneys

Sep: 03, 2013

The fallout of online drug sales raises questions

There are likely many people in Minneapolis who have heard the name Silk Road and they know it is not referring to the Central Asian trade route. Silk Road has been an online marketplace in which drug sellers and buyers could transact their business. For the past two years, the FBI has been looking for the individual behind the website and they have finally arrested the man they believe to be responsible. So, what does that mean for Minnesotans?

Sep: 03, 2013

Expectations of parolees can be overwhelming, unrealistic

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.

Sep: 03, 2013

Odd congressional partnership tackles federal sentencing

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.

Sep: 03, 2013

What does a guilty plea actually mean to a teenager?

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?

Sep: 03, 2013

21-year-old Hibbing man pleads guilty to theft, gets probation

The role of a Minnesota criminal defense attorney is not always to clear his or her client’s name. Sometimes it is very clear that the defendant did what he or she was accused of and so a lawyer’s responsibilities shift. A criminal defense lawyer is also tasked with protecting his or her client’s rights at trial and during sentencing, working toward a fair charge, a fair trial and a fair punishment. Even when a defendant pleads guilty, a criminal defense lawyer is an important asset in negotiating a plea deal.

Sep: 03, 2013

Federal prosecutors to stop focusing on casual marijuana users

The attorney general recently told federal prosecutors to stop focusing on casual marijuana users in Minnesota and throughout the U.S. Instead, the attorney general told prosecutors to focus their efforts on charging individuals involved in drug cartels and other groups that sell illegal drugs to minors.

Sep: 03, 2013

Sentencing for sex crimes could turn on biased evaluations

The role of a Minneapolis criminal defense lawyer is not always to clear someone’s name; sometimes the evidence of guilt is overwhelming and there is little a criminal defense lawyer can do to free his or her client. That does not mean, however, that a lawyer is useless, but rather the lawyer’s job is to ensure the trial is fair and the punishment is appropriate. For many criminal offenses, including sex crimes, a sentence may depend heavily on the evaluation of a mental health professional. In these cases, part of the lawyer’s job is to make sure that the evaluation is unbiased, because if it is not, the defendant could find him- or herself facing a long sentence in prison.

Sep: 03, 2013

Robbery mistrial after jury member talks with father

The cornerstone of the criminal justice system is a fair trial. Everyone in Minnesota who is facing criminal charges should only be convicted on evidence presented at trial, not because the charges are disturbing or because a member of the jury has a “feeling” about the defendant. There are numerous rules and regulations about how members of the jury and other parties must act while a case is going on, and if someone doesn’t follow those rules, there is a risk that the trial will no longer be fair.

Sep: 03, 2013

Minnesota luxury homebuilders potentially facing fraud charges

Two Excelsior-based homebuilders have recently become the focus of an investigation after several clients of theirs have accused them of taking money and not paying their subcontractors. The pair are being investigated by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, as well as the Minnetonka Police Department, but no fraud charges have been filed by Hennepin County prosecutors. If prosecutors do choose to file criminal charges, the men could be in serious trouble if convicted.

Aug: 29, 2013

Boating while impaired in minnesota is addressed under DWI law

Last month we discussed allegations surrounding a boat accident and the boating while impaired charges that a man is facing

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