Minnesota

Major Victory for Hearing-Impaired Inmates in Minnesota: Settlement Ensures Equal Access to Prison Announcements

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Minneapolis, MN – A legal settlement announced recently will usher in a significant change for inmates with hearing impairments at Minnesota prisons, ensuring they receive the same critical information as their hearing counterparts starting July 1. This development addresses longstanding issues of accessibility and rights within the prison system. The settlement, reached between Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid’s Minnesota Disability Law Center and the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC), aims to enhance the living conditions of deaf and hard-of-hearing inmates by ensuring they receive announcements currently broadcast over facility public address systems. These announcements, which include essential … Read more

Minnesota Man Found Guilty in Fatal Tubing Attack on Wisconsin River

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HUDSON, Wis. – A 54-year-old man from Minnesota has been found guilty in the death of a high school student and the stabbing of four others who were tubing on a river in western Wisconsin. Nicolae Miu was convicted of first-degree reckless homicide, four counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, and one count of battery. The jury in the Wisconsin circuit court reached the verdict on Thursday. The sentencing date has yet to be determined (The Associated Press). The incident occurred in late July 2022 along the Apple River in St. Croix County, near the … Read more

Minnesota Legislature Takes Action to Reform Property Forfeiture Laws in Response to Supreme Court Ruling

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St. Paul, Minnesota – The Minnesota Legislature is poised to pass new property forfeiture laws in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that declared the state’s current system unconstitutional. The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in the case of Tyler v. Hennepin County found that the county violated a woman’s constitutional rights by selling her forfeited property for more than the amount she owed in taxes and keeping the surplus. Earlier this year, the state agreed to pay a settlement of $109 million to resolve class action lawsuits filed on behalf of Minnesotans … Read more

Minnesota Considers Making Swatting Calls a Felony Offense Amid Rise in Fake School Shooting Reports

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ST. PAUL, Minn. – Lawmakers in Minnesota are considering a proposal that would make swatting calls, a dangerous and wasteful act, a felony offense in the state. Swatting involves making a fake call to emergency services in order to elicit a response, often from a SWAT team, at another person’s house. The proposal, authored by Rep. Lisa Demuth, the GOP Minority Leader, aims to specifically target those who make swatting calls to the homes of elected officials, judges, prosecuting attorneys, correctional facility employees, or peace officers. Under current Minnesota law, it is already a crime … Read more