Void for Vagueness: It makes sense that if a law is too vague for someone to know what is or is not allowed, that’s not fair. The legal term for “fairness” is “due process.” A law that is too vague to know what it covers can be found to be “void for vagueness.” Similarly, laws […]
criminal lawyer
COVID-19 Forces Bail Reform
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: […]
“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 […]
Hands-Free Cell Phone Law
Starting August 1, 2019 a new law will take effect in Minnesota that bans talking on cell phones while driving. It will be selectively enforced.
How to Choose A DWI Lawyer (Part II — The Checklist)
Does your prospective DWI lawyer know the eighty-seven different counties’ eighty-seven different procedures for getting a driver’s license temporarily reinstated? I have gotten licenses reinstated in Hennepin, Ramsey, Stearns, Sherburne, Washington, Dakota and other counties, using each county’s different procedure. When choosing a DWI attorney, ask questions like these.