Warrantless DWI Testing Tossed In Stearns Co. DUI/DWI

Max Keller of Keller Criminal Defense Attorneys recently won the first known victory on the McNeely warrantless DWI testing issue in an Order from Judge Grunke in a Stearns County DWI Implied Consent hearing challenging a Driver’s License Revocation.  Two other Judges recently issues similar rulings in a Washington County DWI and a Sibley County DWI. So, as you can see, judges from all over the state are beginning to wake up and realize that the Constitutional applies to DWI defendants as well as to everyone else. Judges in Minnesota and elsewhere are concluding that warrantless DWI tests are illegal and unconstitutional.

Warrantless DWI tests, whether blood, breath or urine tests, are done not only without a warrant, but also without true consent where, as in Minnesota, the driver is told he will prosecuted for “test refusal” for not giving his consent to the alleged “consent search” that he is being asked to take.  Obviously when you are asked to make a choice “at the point of a gun,” your consent is not freely and voluntarily given if you “consent” to take a DWI test in order to avoid being jailed for the crime of refusing to “consent.” Likewise of course, the Minnesota crime of DWI test refusal is blatantly Unconstitutional and makes a joke of the word “consent.”

In other encouraging news, the Arizona Supreme Court reached a post-McNeely decision similar to that of the 3 Minnesota judges cited above. The Arizona high court threw out that state’s implied consent law as unconstitutional.  For more information on these and other cases, check back to this blog frequently. This entry will be updated later today.

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.

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

Getting falsely accused of domestic violence in Minnesota may put you at risk of losing your job, custody of your children, or even your home. You may face criminal charges and the accusation may damage your reputation in the community, as people will now view you as an abuser. False domestic violence accusations often happen when couples are in a contentious relationship with a risk of divorce.
The top reasons for license suspension in Minnesota include driving under the influence of alcohol, repeated traffic violations, and failure to appear in court or pay fines. Failure to pay child support, criminal convictions and felonies, medical conditions/disabilities, and drag racing can also lead to license suspension. The suspension takes away your driving privileges, preventing you from driving legally.
Motorists arrested for allegedly driving while impaired might wonder, “Can you refuse a breathalyzer?” In Minnesota, the implied consent law requires a person licensed to drive, control, or operate a vehicle to agree to a chemical test to check for alcohol or other intoxicants in that person’s body. Refusing to submit to a breathalyzer or another chemical test is a crime, often charged as a gross misdemeanor.