Sherburne County Criminal Law Blog

The debate over gun control is arguably the most controversial and hotly contested issue in American politics today. On one side are gun rights advocates who essentially believe that any further regulation of gun sales is a direct assault on the Second Amendment. On the other side are gun control supporters who believe that the mass shootings in Aurora, Colorado and Newtown, Connecticut could have been prevented with stronger background checks.

Two studies on gun violence were recently released and ostensibly paint a very different picture than the ones painted by political parties.

Our last post dealt with the increasing use of e-warrants, which help police officers obtain search warrants in much less time than traditional methods (i.e. going to the police station, faxing a warrant application to a signing judge, then waiting for an answer). We suggested that more of these warrants could be used in Minnesota, but after last week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling, it becomes more of a certainty.

The Court, in Missouri v. McNeely, ruled that the exigent circumstances claimed by the Missouri State Patrol were not sufficient enough to excuse the need for a warrant before completing the forced blood draw of a DUI suspect.

The shooting death of a 72 year-old Chicago man has led to arrests of two unlikely people...his wife and grandson. According to authorities, 64-year-old-Janet Strickland and her grandson, 19-year-old William D. Strickland have been arrested and charged with first degree murder. Prosecutors believe that the pair conspired to kill William Strickland as he waited for a bus.

The motive, prosecutors believe, was that Mrs. Strickland and her grandson wanted to go shopping with the elder Strickland's money after his demise. They argued at a recent bail hearing that shortly after Mr. Strickland's death, neighbors saw the teen driving a new car, and had received new shoes, a cell phone, as well as new tattoos. Mrs. Strickland is being held on $500,000 bond, and the younger Strickland is being held without bond.

Drunk driving charges are serious enough. When a child is involved, the stakes become very high. Not only because the criminal charges can be enhanced, but there is also the likelihood that the state will intervene to challenge the offending parent's fitness to care for a minor child.

This may be the case for a 27-year-old Anoka woman who was recently charged with four counts of criminal vehicular operation. The charges stem from an accident in Andover where the woman was allegedly driving drunk.