Minnesota

Trump nominates 9 to federal court vacancies

Updated: Nine more nominees for federal judgeships were announced Tuesday by the White House. The newest wave of nominees are: • Mark Bennett, former attorney general of Hawaii, to the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. • Andrew Oldham, general counsel for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, to the…

Feb 13, 2018 4:00 PM CST

Some states are welcoming back ex-offenders to work behind bars

In 2010, Cindy Stubbs was nearing the end of a 14-year sentence in a South Carolina prison, determined never to return. A mother of four, locked up on gun and drug trafficking charges since she was 34, Stubbs worked inside the prison translating textbooks to Braille. Three months before her…

Jan 18, 2018 1:25 PM CST

JDs from middle-ranked schools in states with many public colleges may give best investment return

Between 2010 and 2014, net tuition declined the most at middle-ranked law schools, due to merit scholarship patterns associated with maintaining or improving rankings, according to a law review article by Jerome M. Organ, which looks at variable returns on investing in a law degree.

Sep 15, 2017 3:35 PM CDT

A person who locks himself in another’s car can be guilty of vehicle theft, state’s top court rules

A person in Minnesota can be guilty of motor vehicle theft even if he doesn’t move the vehicle, the Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled. The court ruled against Somsalao Thonesavanh, who was accused of entering a running car that was parked in a driveway, Minnesota Public Radio reports. The author…

Sep 11, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Franken opposes Stras for 8th Circuit; will confirmation hearing be held?

U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., has announced he will oppose the nomination of Minnesota Supreme Court Justice David Stras to the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Franken said he believed that Stras, a former clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, would “steer the already conservative…

Sep 6, 2017 11:05 AM CDT

Inmates’ escape par for the course in private prison transport industry

The private prisoner transport company whose van was stolen by two inmates last week in Oklahoma — precipitating a national manhunt that remains underway — may be feeling a sense of deja vu. The company has suffered at least half a dozen other escapes in the last five years. Inmate…

Sep 1, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

Officer is acquitted in shooting death of black driver whose girlfriend livestreamed the aftermath

Updated: A Minnesota police officer has been acquitted in the shooting death last summer of a cafeteria supervisor, an incident that received widespread attention because victim Philando Castile’s girlfriend livestreamed the aftermath on Facebook. Shortly after the verdict was announced, the town of St. Anthony said Jeronimo Yanez is no…

Jun 16, 2017 3:29 PM CDT

Mobile Justice: Minnesota law school takes pro bono work on the road

In most parts of the country, recreational vehicles are typically used for leisure activities. But in Minnesota, a 20-year-old RV has been retrofitted for a new purpose: to house the Mobile Law Network, a traveling pro bono law office.

Dec 1, 2016 4:10 AM CST

Suspension recommended for lawyer who sought up to $24M in fees, didn’t produce computer

A 30-day suspension is being recommended for a lawyer who said she couldn’t produce computer metadata of time records supporting a multimillion-dollar fee request because she used a “wipe and delete” program each day. The State Bar of California’s Review Department recommended the suspension for lawyer Lori Jo Sklar in…

Nov 28, 2016 8:30 AM CST

Mom sues child and clinic over transgender treatment, claims Minnesota law violates parental rights

A Minnesota mother who opposes her 17-year-old child’s transition from male to female has sued the teen and officials accused of aiding the process. The mother’s suit (PDF) claims a loss of the right to due process that affected her parental rights. NBC Out, the Washington Post and the Duluth…

Nov 21, 2016 7:45 AM CST

Officer in Minnesota is charged with manslaughter in death of cafeteria supervisor

A police officer in Minnesota has been charged with second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of a man he had pulled over for a broken taillight. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi announced Wednesday that he made the decision to charge St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez rather than seek a…

Nov 16, 2016 11:22 AM CST

Prenda Law attorney who had switched to ADA suits is suspended for earlier ‘copyright trolling’ work

A Minnesota lawyer whose practice has recently focused on suing businesses for ADA violations was indefinitely suspended from practicing law for his past legal work targeting people who illegally downloaded pornographic videos. Conduct allegations against Paul Hansmeier include discovery abuse; willfully violating court orders; and lying to the court about…

Sep 16, 2016 8:00 AM CDT

Black man shot by officer in Minnesota had been pulled over 52 times by police

Corrected: A cafeteria supervisor at St. Paul Public Schools had been pulled over by police at least 52 times in the 14 years before he was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in Minnesota last week. Castile was cited for 86 violations during those stops,…

Jul 11, 2016 12:29 PM CDT

DOJ asked to investigate another cop shooting of a black man; girlfriend live-streamed the aftermath

Updated: Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton is asking the U.S. Justice Department to investigate a fatal police shooting of a black man pulled over for a broken tail light. The man who was killed, Philando Castile, was a cafeteria supervisor at St. Paul Public Schools, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. His…

Jul 7, 2016 11:22 AM CDT

Small civil-rights law firm wins reversal of $282K sanction

A small civil-rights law firm in Minnesota has won reversal of a $281,900 sanction imposed by a federal judge who found its claims in a Native American land rights case to be “completely frivolous.” The St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Minneapolis attorney Erick Kaardal and…

Jun 28, 2016 11:45 AM CDT