Over Two Decades Of Experience Defending The People Of St. Paul
Defendant Successfully Asserts Self Defense Today, John Lesch concluded a jury trial brought by Hennepin County against H.S. (name withheld), who for years had been beaten for years by her ex boyfriend. He has convictions for stalking her, and for a felony assault against her which resulted in a concussion, broken bones, and chipped teeth from when he punched her…
WASHINGTON – Eight Supreme Court justices on Wednesday heard Dakota County’s argument that police officers should be able to criminally punish someone for refusing to consent to a blood, breath or urine test in a roadside stop, testing the constitutionality of a law upheld by the Minnesota Supreme Court. The court heard from Kathryn Keena, an assistant Dakota County attorney…
When your’e charged with a crime, one of the things you should think about is how the charge affects your job, career, college, or housing prospects years down the line. There are three most important factors in determining how it will affect your future is (1) the charge itself, (2) the consequences of conviction, and (3) the possible sentence, including…
Appeals judge says suspects can be compelled to give print, as with blood sample. A court order compelling a suspect to provide a fingerprint to unlock a cellphone doesn’t violate their constitutional rights, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday. Although the court has allowed police to obtain blood, fingerprint or handwriting samples even against the defendant’s wishes, this is…
DRUNK DRIVING ARRESTS ARE DOWN SHARPLY AFTER DECADES OF AGGRESSIVE ENFORCEMENT WHILE DRUGGED DRIVING ARRESTS ARE CLIMBING. THAT’S WHY GEORGIA HAS MORE THAN 250 OFFICERS WITH SPECIAL ‘DRUG RECOGNITION EXPERT’ TRAINING. BUT THE 11ALIVE INVESTIGATORS DISCOVERED THOSE ‘EXPERTS’ SOMETIMES PUT INNOCENT PEOPLE BEHIND BARS. Drunk driving arrests are down sharply after decades of aggressive enforcement, while drugged driving arrests are…
The Minnesota Legislative Auditor’s office released a highly critical report Thursday on the state of mental health services within the county jail system. The report detailed a lack of training and resources for correctional workers — and noted that state laws didn’t adequately address those issues. Worse, existing state laws weren’t being complied with — this, despite most sheriffs saying…
The fate of a St. Paul residential center for delinquent boys is in question after a stern warning by the Ramsey County judicial bench. Second Judicial District judges have stopped referring juvenile defendants to Boys Totem Town while corrections officials address concerns and changes sought by the bench. Ramsey County Chief Judge Teresa Warner sent a letter Feb. 25 to…
A state lawmaker wants to stop what could become Minnesota’s most significant sentencing reform for drug offenders in decades, saying dangerous dealers should remain behind bars in an era of rising narcotics abuse. The Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission — an independent state board that sets recommendations for judges — voted last December in favor to drastically change how long some…
Minnesota legislators and criminal justice leaders have struck a deal on what could be the most significant reforms to the state’s drug laws in decades. The proposal came after months of closed-door discussions between legislative leaders and various interest groups, such as law enforcement, prosecutors and defense attorneys. If passed, it would dramatically lower penalties for some high-level drug offenses…
A three-judge panel of the Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday threw out the conviction of a Minnesota man who refused to submit to a urine test after he was stopped by police on suspicion of drunken driving. The appellate court ruled that police needed a warrant if they wanted a sample of Ryan Mark Thompson’s urine to prove he…