Incarceration Nation: Three statistics to start this off: 1) Roughly 2.2 million Americans are behind bars on any given day; 2) With 4.4% of the world’s population, the US incarcerates 25% of the world’s prisoners; 3) One-third of them have not been convicted of the crime for which they’re being held. Pretrial Detention: That’s right: […]
Not Guilty
Why I Take Cases to Trial Steve was charged with felony DWI. After two jury trials, and a prosecution that lasted over two years, he was acquitted. Here’s his story: Steve had had three prior DWIs which resulted in two things: 1) he had ignition interlock in his car (so he couldn’t start the car […]
An Open Letter to the Star Tribune
Today, again, the Star Tribune printed an article about DWI arrests that assumes all people arrested for DWI are guilty of DWI. I sent the author of that article the following letter: Mr. Harlow: I appreciate today’s article on DWI arrests, but I do have a few nits to pick. First, your article confuses being […]
Minnesota Breath Testing Machines Under Scrutiny
Don’t trust the government breath test numbers.
“Because DWI . . .”
The Only Explanation Some Minnesota appellate court decisions and statutes can only be explained with a shrug and quietly mumbling “because DWI.” Due process (the legal term for “fairness”) is routinely abandoned in DWI law in ways that is not tolerated in other areas of law. Chief among these is the admissibility of breath tests […]