Blog Posts in January, 2015

The Fourth Amendment Right Against Unreasonable Searches

As Minnesota criminal defense attorneys, one of the most common issues we deal with is the Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches. This is a right that is guaranteed under both the United States and Minnesota Constitutions. It seems simple; a search is reasonable in one of two situations: (1) if the police have a search warrant, or (2) there is an exigent circumstance that ...

New Minnesota Laws Help People With Criminal Records Find Jobs

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article , nearly 80 million Americans have criminal records. As Minnesota expungement attorneys, we are well-acquainted with the devastating impact a criminal conviction can have on one’s job prospects. Thankfully, Minnesota has recently enacted two laws meant to help people with criminal records find jobs. First, in 2014 Minnesota’s “Ban the Box” law ...

Will Penalties for DWI in Minnesota Get Harsher?

Tougher Minnesota DWI Laws on the Horizon The Minnesota DWI Task Force is proposing tougher penalties for Minnesota’s drunken drivers. According to a Star Tribune article, the goal of these penalties is to encourage drivers to install ignition interlock in their vehicles. According to the Star Tribune, studies show offenders who install ignition interlock devices are less likely to be arrested for ...

Are the Courts Ignoring Your Fourth Amendment Rights?

The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Minnesota Constitution guarantee your right to be free of unreasonable searches and seizures. Once upon a time, the word “justice” in “criminal justice system” owed the lion’s share of its value to this fundamental American principal. Unfortunately, due to any number of compelling reasons, we have allowed the government to slowly pick away at ...

The Fight to Save Andrew Brannan From Execution

On January 12, 1998 a simple traffic stop on an empty Georgia road ended in a shootout between Andrew Brannan and Sheriff Deputy Kyle Dinkheller. Deputy Dinkheller stopped Mr. Brannan for driving 100 mph, but Mr. Brannan quickly became agitated and shot the Deputy nine times, killing him. The video from the dashboard camera is brutal. Deputy Dinkheller left behind a wife and young child. Mr. ...