Bob CollinsThe Minnesota Court of Appeals is running out of ways to say it: It’s not unconstitutional to impose a criminal penalty on someone who refuses to take a breath test when stopped for suspicion of drunk driving.
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MPR News Reflections and observations on the news
Crime and Justice
We’ve reached peak absurdity when the authorities show up to shut down outdoor grilling. Read more →
To its surprise, a PBS NewsHour crew asked for — and received — permission to attend the funeral of Vonzell Banks, because someone’s got to tell the story, and someone else has to care what’s happening. Read more →
The photographer in Fargo who was banned from the city’s swimming pools for taking pictures of people without their knowledge says the publicity has ruined his life. Kirk Ludwig also says he’s “pretty sure” he’s going to lose his job. Read more →
How to stop the chaos of bar closing time in Minneapolis? Maybe it’s music, the Star Tribune says. Read more →
What little credibility a claim of anti-American bias against a soldier at a SuperAmerica station still had, evaporated today when the company released the results of its investigation into the allegation, a day after the soldier’s father recanted his original Facebook post. Read more →
In Fargo, the First Amendment is running up against the creepiness of a man taking photos of women and children at city parks. Read more →
Just as it was during the crackdown on distracted driving, the Minnesota State Patrol’s Twitter account has been delightful, if depressing, reading since the start of its two-week crackdown on speeding.
The bottom line? Some people shouldn’t be driving. At all. Read more →
No Minnesotans were on the list of commuted sentences of individuals President Barack Obama said bore the brunt of overly harsh sentences for non-violent drug offenses.
But Steven Donovan of Oak Creek, Wis., received a commutation of his 1992 life sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; interstate travel to promote distribution of cocaine; possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Read more →
Bear researcher Lynn Rogers has struck out at the Minnesota Court of Appeals in his attempt to be allowed to attach a tracking collar to bears. Read more →
The Minnesota Court of Appeals has again declared that the law making it a crime to refuse to submit to DUI testing is constitutional. The Court ruled today (pdf) in the case of Tarah Louise Fichtner of Hermantown, who was stopped and arrested in 2013 after she failed two of three field sobriety tests but Read more →
Fox News isn’t really news, a judge in Wisconsin has ruled. Sort of.
The judge in Milwaukee County ruled against Aaron Marjala, a firefighter who was found permanently disabled in 2008. While collecting the disability payments Marjala maintained “an active lifestyle.” Marjala even ran in marathons. Read more →
There’s a particular violation when teachers run a scam. Read more →
There’s not much difference between the Wisconsin and the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River. But where the law is concerned, they’re on two different planets.
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