Specific Unanimity in Minnesota Criminal Trials
A jury returns a guilty verdict. Twelve people agreed. That should settle the question of what happened… Except sometimes it doesn’t. If the State charges one count of a crime but the trial evidence describes more than one act that could each, on its own satisfy that charge, a general “guilty” verdict can hide real
What Does “Lewd” Mean Under Minnesota’s Indecent Exposure Law?
Most people assume indecent exposure means one thing: someone intentionally flashing a stranger for shock value. In reality, Minnesota’s indecent exposure law is broader and blurrier than that, and the exact meaning of the word “lewd” has been a moving target for years. A new Court of Appeals decision, State v. Johnson, shows what happens
When Can Your iPhone Put You Behind Bars?
State v. Contreras-Sanchez Decision On April 15, 2026, the Minnesota Supreme Court issued a significant decision in State v. Contreras-Sanchez, a case that squarely addresses modern digital privacy in the context of geofence warrants and cell phone location data. The decision, authored by Justice Sarah E. Hennesy, reverses and remands the lower court’s ruling, providing
Minnesota’s Clean Slate Law – Of Course There’s a Delay
In 2023, Minnesota became the twelfth state to enact “Clean Slate” legislation, which was supposed to offer automatic criminal expungements to over 500,000 Minnesotan residents. Many Minnesotans who were looking forward to, and depending on, the law’s enactment on January 1, 2025, however, are dishearteningly learning that the promises made with this new “Clean Slate”
Criminal Harassment – Further Defined
Typically, when someone feels harassed, they are advised by law enforcement to get a harassment restraining order, which purportedly offers the protection sought from the harassing behavior. But, in more serious circumstances, the behavior may lead to a charge for criminal harassment. Criminal harassment can take many forms and is a statute that leads to
A Disorderly Conduct Charge from Words and Actions Does Not Violate First Amendment Rights
We have all encountered someone who cannot control themselves when something rubs them the wrong way. Instead of keeping their cool, they take it upon themselves to cause a scene. In Minnesota, taking that scene too far can land you with a disorderly conduct charge. And as one small-town mayor learned the hard way, no
Misdemeanor vs. Felony – Levels of Crimes in Minnesota
A common question we get from our clients and family/friends is: what is the difference between a misdemeanor vs. felony? To understand this, we will go over the full list of levels of crimes in Minnesota, starting with a type of conviction that is technically not a crime. The Difference Between a Misdemeanor vs. Felony
Deferred Prosecution for Veterans – Criminal Defense
The term “justice-involved veterans” describes former service members who are on the wrong side of a criminal investigation or criminal charges. Often, a criminal proceeding against a veteran has underlying connections to some sort of service-related disability. For example, post-traumatic stress disorder, heightened anxiety, and substance abuse can lead a veteran to commit an offense
Fleeing Police by Other Means – A Misdemeanor Crime in Minnesota
We’ve already discussed how fleeing police in a motor vehicle is a serious felony level offense. A less serious offense – at least by severity level of the crime – is the misdemeanor charge of fleeing police by other means. As you can imagine, though, despite it only being a misdemeanor level of offense, prosecutors
Violating an Order for Protection Crime – Minnesota
A civil order preventing someone from having any direct or indirect contact with another party can lead to criminal charges if it is violated. One of the most common no contact orders in Minnesota is an Order for Protection. Under Minnesota’s Domestic Abuse Act (Minn. Ch. 518B.01), an Order for Protection is issued when an