Believe it or not, Minnesota courts often engage in defining simple words, such as “stop” and “at”. This exercise even occurs at Minnesota’s highest court – the supreme court. Recently, it did just that in State v. Gibson, Jr. This case addressed whether a peace officer has a lawful basis to stop a driver who…
The Minnesota Legislature is busy working to amend MN DWI vehicle forfeiture laws. Among the most prominent changes on the table will impact innocent owner claims and the ignition interlock exception. The bill passed the House State Government Finance Division and was referred to the Ways & Means Committee. It is gaining steam and there…
The Sixth Amendment guarantees a defendant’s right to confront their accusers. If a person exercises their constitutional right to trial, then the prosecution must present the defendant’s accusers and subject them to cross examination by the defense. The Confrontation Clause demands this. However, with every great constitutional protection, there are exceptions. If the prosecution has statements it…
Track the phone, track the person. As cell phones have become a vital organ to many, the ability to locate a phone allows law enforcement to place a person in a specific area. It is impossible for the Fourth Amendment to keep up with the technology explosion in real time. But eventually, case by case,…