Minnesota

Sickle cell trait is sometimes blamed for deaths during police arrests and custody; is it warranted?

A sickle cell trait is sometimes blamed for deaths of suspects that happen during police arrests and custody, even when the circumstances raise questions about use of force by officers.

May 19, 2021 9:05 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Trump-boosting fake lawyer sentenced; 3 of Biden’s new judicial picks have public defender experience

Trump-boosting fake lawyer sentenced to prison A Tennessee man who founded Students for Trump has been sentenced to 13 months in prison for posing as an elite lawyer and taking more than $46,000 from would-be clients. John Lambert had posed as a lawyer named Eric Pope and had created a…

May 13, 2021 4:19 PM CDT

4 officers face civil rights charges in George Floyd’s death; Chauvin also charged in youth’s knee restraint

A federal grand jury has indicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin and three other former officers on civil rights charges in the May 2020 death of George Floyd.

May 7, 2021 10:34 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Derek Chauvin cites possible jury misconduct; judge tosses claim by ex-summer associate

Former Minneapolis police officer seeks new trial Lawyers have filed a motion seeking a new trial for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted in the May 2020 death of George Floyd. The motion said the judge should have sequestered jurors, should have moved the location of the trial,…

May 5, 2021 4:41 PM CDT

After Chauvin’s conviction on all counts, what will his appeal look like?

An appeal is “a virtual certainty” following the conviction Tuesday of fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for killing George Floyd with a knee to his neck, according to USA Today.

Apr 21, 2021 10:25 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Chauvin found guilty in George Floyd’s death; why red flag law wasn’t used against FedEx gunman

Chauvin is found guilty of all charges in George Floyd’s death Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of all charges in the 2020 death of George Floyd. Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin, who is white, was convicted for…

Apr 20, 2021 4:29 PM CDT

Minnesota’s unique ‘spark of life’ doctrine allows evidence about George Floyd’s life during former officer’s trial

A unique “spark of life” doctrine in Minnesota allows prosecutors to introduce evidence about George Floyd’s life in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who is accused of causing his death.

Apr 9, 2021 10:03 AM CDT

Election lawyer sanctioned $10K; judge says she ‘bamboozled’ voters who didn’t realize they were plaintiffs

A Minnesota judge said Friday he would impose a $10,000 sanction on an election lawyer who “bamboozled” voters into becoming plaintiffs.

Mar 30, 2021 2:13 PM CDT

Voluntarily intoxicated rape victims aren’t ‘mentally incapacitated,’ top state court rules

Victims who willingly consume alcohol or drugs before they are sexually assaulted aren’t “mentally incapacitated,” the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

Mar 26, 2021 12:27 PM CDT

Kagan cites Ford’s ‘truckload of contacts’ with plaintiffs’ home states in jurisdictional SCOTUS ruling

The Ford Motor Co. can be sued for alleged defects in its vehicles in the states where the plaintiffs lived and the alleged harm happened, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday in an 8-0 opinion.

Mar 25, 2021 11:55 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: 5 Jones Day plaintiffs drop claims; no immunity for cop who shocked girl during seizure

Only 1 plaintiff remains in Jones Day pay-bias suit Five of six former associates suing Jones Day for gender bias have dropped their claims. The move follows a decision by all the plaintiffs in December to drop class action pay-bias claims in the suit. The five plaintiffs said in a…

Mar 12, 2021 2:56 PM CST

Why were lawyers arguing about third-degree murder charge in case of cop charged in George Floyd killing?

Updated: A Minnesota judge on Thursday reinstated a third-degree murder charge against Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused in the death of George Floyd.

Mar 9, 2021 10:33 AM CST

Difficulties of pandemic should be acknowledged in law school transcript, students say

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on many student population groups, and law students at the University of Minnesota Law School are asking that it be mentioned in the transcript for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Mar 2, 2021 3:10 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Election lawyer referred for court discipline; public defender waiting list declared unconstitutional

Lawyer refers election lawyer for discipline U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of the District of Columbia has referred a Minneapolis lawyer to a court grievance committee for possible discipline after he allegedly made “irrelevant allegations of fraud” in an election suit that did not rely on any fraud theories. The…

Feb 23, 2021 4:39 PM CST

Lawyer who pleaded guilty in porn lawsuit scheme must pay $1.5M restitution, 8th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has upheld a $1.5 million restitution order against a Minnesota lawyer who pleaded guilty in a scheme to upload porn to file-sharing websites and then sue people who downloaded it.

Feb 11, 2021 11:20 AM CST