You will want to immediately retain experienced defense counsel to defend your freedom and reputation. While the case is being investigated, you should not interview with any police officer or investigator. You are at risk for being charged with malicious punishment of a child and domestic assault. By hiring an attorney early on in the [...]

Yes, you can be charged with a DWI for drunk driving on private property. Minnesota DWI laws apply to operating a vehicle while under the influence on private property, lawns, parking lots, lakes and rivers. The courts always interpret the DWI laws liberally in favor of public safety. The DWI charge could still be dismissed [...]

Yes, you can be recharged with a felony after the charge has been dismissed. Often times a prosecutor will dismiss a felony charge on his own motion for lack of evidence or due to missing witnesses making the case more difficult to prove at trial. A criminal case can also be dismissed on a defense [...]

Yes, minors are entitled to have legal representation in juvenile court. If they are indigent, the court will appoint an attorney to represent them. Minors are entitled to many of the same rights as adults including the right to remain silent and to confront and cross-examine witnesses at trial. These rights are guaranteed to juveniles [...]

If a person is acquitted of a criminal assault charge, he can still be sued for a civil assault arising out of the same set of facts. This is true because the parties are different in both cases. In the criminal case the parties are the State of Minnesota verses the defendant. In the civil [...]

Yes, you can fight a minor consumption ticket. You would be wise not to submit to a preliminary breath test. You are under no legal obligation to submit to any field sobriety testing. The PBT test result is admissible evidence in court and can be used against you in a minor consumption prosecution. If you [...]

The best advice would be for you to contact the prosecuting attorney and tell him that you do not wish to cooperate in the prosecution of your friend. No prosecutor wants to have an uncooperative witness at trial. Let the prosecutor know if you were the one who started the fight. The defendant may be [...]

The best defense in a shoplifting case is to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney. If you represent yourself, you will have no bargaining power with the prosecutor and will only be offered unfavorable plea agreements that result in a conviction and jail time. An experienced criminal defense attorney will know the prosecutor and may [...]

If evidence favorable to the defense of a criminal case has been destroyed by the prosecution, you may be able to have the charges against you dismissed. The willful and intentional destruction of exculpatory evidence by the prosecution will provide you with favorable grounds for filing the motion for dismissal. The Due Process Clause the [...]

It may be possible to keep a theft charge off your record given the dollar amount of the theft and a clean record. My advice would be to enroll in a theft offender treatment program now and complete the program before your first court appearance. A proactive defense is the best defense against a criminal [...]