As we’ve talked about on the blog numerous times in the past, individuals who have been convicted of a DWI in Minnesota have the option to have a special license plate installed on their vehicle. These are known as special registration plates, but they have affectionately earned the nickname “whiskey” plates over the years because the plate starts with the letter “W” and designates that the vehicle owner has a DWI on their record. The plates help police officers know that the vehicle’s owner has a previous DWI conviction on their record, but a whiskey plate in and of itself is not enough to pu ..read more

A round of golf can be an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon with friends or clients, and depending on whether you’re trying to calm your nerves or forget a bad round, it’s not uncommon for golfers to indulge in a few adult beverages on the course. It’s also not uncommon for golfers to use golf carts to make the round go a little faster, but as you know if you’re familiar with this blog, drinking and driving don’t mix. If you end up driving a golf cart over the legal limit, can you earn a DUI? In today’s blog, we explore how the state’s DWI law applies to golf carts. Golf Cart DUI Although i ..read more

The Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled earlier today that a person’s vehicle is considered a public place in regards to the state’s permit-to-carry law. The ruling centered around the case of Kyaw Be Bee, who was pulled over near Larpenteur Avenue and Interstate 35E in May of 2022 on suspicion of stealing a catalytic converter. Bee was not charged with theft, but a search of the vehicle found a BB gun under Bee’s seat. He was charged with carrying a gun in public without a permit, as state law puts BB guns in the same class as shotguns and rifles. Permit To Carry Gun In Public In August, Ramsey ..read more

The intricate link between addiction and criminal behavior serves as a crucial issue impacting both legal and social realms. Recognizing this connection is imperative for law enforcement, legal professionals, and policymakers as they create strategies to address public safety and health. This article intends to deeply analyze the legal perspectives of this link, scrutinize the relevant laws, and evaluate their consequences on justice and rehabilitation systems. By exploring how addiction influences criminal actions, stakeholders can better devise and execute effective interventions. These stra ..read more

If you have been convicted of criminal charges or agreed to a plea deal, you may find that probation is part of your sentencing agreement. Although probation terms will be unique to the individual and the offense they committed, there are really only two main types of probation in Minnesota. There’s probation to the court and probation to community corrections. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at both forms of probation in Minnesota. Probation To The Court Let’s start by examining probation to the court. This form of probation has fewer involved parties, and is generally applied to indiv ..read more

Minnesota lawmakers are hoping to greenlight a pilot project that would bring traffic enforcement cameras to Minneapolis and other metro-area communities. If lawmakers get their way, the four-year pilot program would authorize red light and speed cameras in areas near schools and areas deemed high-risk zones based on previous crash data. The cameras would be installed in Minneapolis, Mendota Heights and one county and city in the metro chosen by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Lawmakers and city officials said the data collected by the cameras would help gather local intel on how t ..read more

Law enforcement officials in the east metro area will soon be getting specialized pickup trucks in order to have a better view into vehicles to help crack down on dangerous driving behaviors. The higher vantage point should allow police officers to more easily see if another driver is texting behind the wheel or failing to wear their seat belt. “We need to get creative in how we’re combating the unacceptable driving behaviors and rising deaths we’re seeing on our roads,” DPS’ Office of Traffic Safety Director Mike Hanson said in a statement. “People are dying because drivers are selfishly maki ..read more

A Minnesota lawmaker has issued a proposal that would make it legal for women to go topless in public if they so desire. The proposal comes on the heels of a ruling by the Minnesota Court of Appeals to uphold the conviction of a woman who was arrested and sentenced to 90 days in jail on an “indecent exposure” charge after going topless in a convenience store parking lot. “This to me seems really wrong,” Minnesota House Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura told The Star Tribune in regards to the conviction. “Particularly now, as we as a society are thinking differently about gender and gender identit ..read more

If you’ve been following our blog in recent months, you may be familiar with the name Stephanie Clark. As we detailed in past blogs, Clark was convicted of murder after a jury decided that her self-defense theory didn’t meet the needed threshold, as the jury had been instructed that the definition of “imminent threat” meant that there was an “immediate threat” on her life. Appelman Law Firm’s very own Eric Doolittle challenged those jury instructions, and the appellate court agreed. In their decision, the appellate court wrote, “the jury could have found that Clark was in imminent danger of gr ..read more

Minnesota lawmakers are considering increasing the penalties for “swatting,” which is when a person reports a fake emergency in order to get police, first responders and even swat teams to show up at a specific location. Swatting is oftentimes performed as a “prank” or in order to harass an individual. And while it is clearly a waste of resources, the act can easily turn deadly. The swatted individual has no idea that police or a swat team is descending on their residence, and law enforcement are only acting on a tip, so they may believe that the person is armed or dangerous. This can make for ..read more