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Minnesota Criminal Defense Law Blog

Farmington man sentenced to 545 days in jail for drunk-driving fatality

A 29-year-old Farmington man was recently sentenced to one and a half years in jail in connection with a drunk-driving accident on Christmas Eve 2009 which killed an 88-year-old Prior Lake man, and caused his wife to suffer a traumatic brain injury, memory and hearing loss, broken ribs and head lacerations.

Sentencing reportedly took place on Wednesday in Dakota County District Court. In addition to prison time, the man will be required to go through 10 years of probation and 30 hours of community service each year speaking on drunk-driving panels. He will also be required to be on electronic home monitoring for 30 days each year.

MN Supreme Court: convicted criminals may be forced to give DNA sample

Last month, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that police may require those convicted of a crime to submit to a DNA sample without violating that person's constitutional right against an unreasonable search. The case came almost two years after a Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling upheld the DNA search.

Additionally, the court ruled in another case that requiring DNA of a juvenile charged with a felony does not violate any constitutional rights.

Federal settlement provides MN with $280M for mortgage relief

Our Minneapolis readers may have heard about the recent announcement by federal officials that a $25 billion fraud settlement with five of the nation's largest mortgage lenders has been reached.

The settlement, which has the goal of reimbursing some homeowners and changing industry practices, stems from allegations that mortgage lenders failed to properly verify foreclosure documents and inadequately responded to borrowers who asked for help. In some cases, employees signed papers which they hadn't reviewed or used false signatures in order to speed up the process.

Coalition releases report on 2011 domestic violence deaths

According to a recent report released by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women, a minimum of 34 Minnesotans were murdered in 2011 as a result of domestic violence. At least four of the victims were children, 23 were women, one was a man, and six were friends, relatives or someone who stepped in to intervene.

is, unfortunately, too common in Minnesota, and the coalition documents cases in order to urge authorities to step up efforts to protect victims.Domestic violence

Florida investment fund accuses Burnsville company of fraud

On Monday, several investment firms in the Twin Cities area were publicly accused of operating a fraud and racketeering scheme involving millions of dollars and forged bank records. The allegations were made in a suit filed in St. Paul by a Florida investment fund by the name of Integrity Dominion Fund.

Three codefendants from the Twin Cities area were named in the suit and accused of designing the scheme. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of breach of contract, securities fraud, misrepresentation and deceptive trade practices, as well as racketeering.

Apple Valley man charged with DWI for operating Zamboni under influence

A 34-year-old Apple Valley man and part-time worker for the city of Apple Valley was arrested on Monday night after he allegedly drove a Zamboni machine under the influence of alcohol at a hockey game at Hayes Arena in Apple Valley. Police apparently arrived at the arena to find the man struggling to maneuver the machine around the ice rink.

According to local sources, officers initiated contact with the man after the machine was removed from the ice, and found signs of intoxication. The man was arrested and charged with DWI, and has since been suspended from his position. Sources add that the man has a history of drunk-driving convictions, though his employers say he has been a reliable employee.

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