Most everyone, lawyers and laypersons, are familiar with the affirmative defense of self-defense. The defendant is required to submit enough evidence regarding the defense to justify a judge instructing the jury on the elements of self-defense. When a person...
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Criminal Defense
“IN ALL CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS, THE ACCUSED SHALL HAVE THE RIGHT…TO BE CONFRONTED WITH THE WITNESS AGAINST HIM.” Sixth Amendment, United States Constitution
Justice Scalia reinforced an accused’s right to confront his accuser in the landmark case of Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36 2004. Prior to the Crawford decision, the Courts would allow a witness to testify to hearsay if it had a sufficient indicia of reliability....
Alleged Sex Crimes Involving Children: Children’s Statements in Videotaped Forensic Interviews
Sex crimes involving alleged child victims present unique challenges on many issues, but particularly the admissibility of the alleged victim's statements alleging abuse.It is imperative that a defense lawyer understand the rules, exceptions, and exceptions to the...
Dog Sniff at Apartment Door only Requires Reasonable Suspicion
Recently was retained to defend a client charged with two counts of felony threats of violence. It was alleged that the client threatened neighbors with a gun over a dispute involving the neighbors pit bulls. The client had a clean...
Availability in labor opening up opportunities for those with criminal past
The Minneapolis Star Tribune recently published an article in which it reports that the shortage of available labor is opening up employment opportunities for people who have served time in prison. This is good news not only for the former convicts but also for...
Criminal charges have far-reaching consequences for the accused
Being accused of a crime is a pivotal moment in any person's life. A criminal charge can have a wide range of effects that last a very long time. There are the legal consequences of a criminal charge, such as the jail time associated with the crime, the fines...
What to expect and do if you’re accused of shoplifting
Any type of theft crime can land you in hot water with the law. For example, an accusation of shoplifting is nothing to take lightly. If you assume that this will have no impact on your life, you may find yourself surprised at what the future brings.Here are a few...
N-Dex database being rolled out to police in Minneapolis
Police in Minneapolis are poised to have more information to help them solve crimes. Among other things, the N-Dex database, created and used by the FBI, will make it easier for law enforcement officers to quickly get information about criminals across state lines....
Take action if your child is charged with shoplifting
If your child has been accused of shoplifting, it is important to take action to get them good legal representation right away. While in some cases it may make sense to reach a deal or agreement, the charge can also be challenged. There are ways to fight against a...
Understanding defenses to accusation of criminal trespass
Though likely not the first thing that comes to mind when you think about criminal charges, the consequences for criminal trespass can be harsh. If you or a loved one has been accused of criminal trespass, you should know that there are defenses you can raise to this...