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Community Cooperation Needed for Lower Crime/Recidivism

In a great piece this week in the Post Bulletin, staff writer Christine Beech takes some time to reflect on crime rates, what’s needed to reduce them, and the broken system in general. While she acknowledges punishment for criminal behavior is necessary, she makes a good argument for everyone to get involved in helping reintegrate the members of society who may have gone astray of the law. read more

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 12th, 2010 at 9:48 am and is filed under criminal law. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Minneapolis Gets Tough on Gun Crime

In light of a gun death rate already exceeding the number of gun deaths in all of 2009, officials in the city of Minneapolis are letting people know, they won’t be relaxing weapons laws or penalties against violators any time soon. According to the Star Tribune, a news conference this week was the scene for officials to make their tough stance known. read more

This entry was posted on Friday, August 6th, 2010 at 9:30 am and is filed under criminal law, weapons. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Hennepin County Judge Brought Crack Cocaine Disparities to Light in 1991

Congress recently repealed a mandatory minimum sentence for possession of crack cocaine—a sentence that was completely unfair and even, perhaps, racially skewed to favor more affluent powdered cocaine users rather than the largely African American crack-cocaine defendants. And it all began when a local judge ruled the sentence was unfair and biased. read more

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010 at 3:29 pm and is filed under drug possession. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

DNA Evidence Used in Theft Case

It’s not often you see DNA evidence used to solve a crime. Really. Television shows like CSI are more likely to use it than actual police departments. It’s even rarer to use it on a theft case. However, that’s just what happened with a case out of Farmington. read more

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 8th, 2010 at 4:29 pm and is filed under criminal law. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Minnesota Judges Banning Internet for Some Defendants

In more and more criminal cases, Minnesota judges are banning defendants from using the Internet while they await trial or even as a condition of their probation. While it’s typically used in cases involving crimes over the Internet, defense attorneys and others are wondering if the sanction goes too far. read more

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010 at 10:01 am and is filed under criminal law. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Mexican Meth Floods Minnesota

With Meth Labs on the decline here in Minnesota, it would be nice if meth use would dwindle along with it. However, that isn’t the case. Instead, methamphetamines from Mexico are arriving daily to the Twin City area, according to the Star Tribune. read more

This entry was posted on Friday, May 14th, 2010 at 2:34 pm and is filed under drug possession. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Coming Soon to Minnesota: Ignition Interlock Devices?

A Minnesota news report this week notes that state lawmakers are considering legislation requiring DWI offenders to have an ignition interlock device (IID) installed in their vehicles. Mandatory in many states for multiple DWI offenders, ignition interlock devices are designed to stop people with DWI convictions from driving drunk again. read more

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 at 2:31 pm and is filed under dwi. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Special Programs for Multiple DWI Offenders

If you live in Anoka or Ramsey County and are caught driving drunk, “the courts are going to hammer you,” according to a DWI victims advocate in this article from the Star Tribune. These two counties have been notably tough on DWI offenders and have seen the largest declines in alcohol related accidents across the state. read more

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 18th, 2010 at 4:17 pm and is filed under dwi. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

MN Lawmakers Consider Ignition Interlocks for all DWI Offenders

The Minnesota state legislature is considering a bill that would require ignition interlock devices be installed in the vehicles of all DWI offenders, even for a first offense. read more

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 10:04 am and is filed under dwi. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Minnesota Legislature Considers Proposal to Tighten Domestic Violence Practices

A bill was proposed this past week to the Minnesota Legislature from the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women. Along with the proposal, representatives from the organization delivered a report on domestic violence fatalities for the year. Their resulting recommendations include tightening up on domestic violence practices by law enforcement and judges alike. read more

This entry was posted on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 9:20 am and is filed under criminal law. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.