Criminal Justice & Policing
There is only one ICE detainee left in Sherburne County jail
In a much publicized move a few years ago, Sherburne County offered up its jail to house federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees in an effort to make extra money. The county encompassing part of St. Cloud and that supported former President Donald Trump by 37 points in 2016, had hoped to rake in $100 […]
Family, lawmakers mourn trans woman killed in Minneapolis
Family members and friends of Savannah Ryan Williams, a transgender woman killed in Minneapolis on Nov. 29, gathered with lawmakers at the state Capitol Thursday to remember Williams and call attention to transphobia. A 25-year-old man, Damarean Bible, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder. Bible told police he shot Williams in the head […]
Congress is haggling over border security: Where does it stand?
WASHINGTON — As Congress negotiates the White House’s $106 billion supplemental aid request for Israel, Ukraine and U.S. border security, fights over immigration policy have tied up the request. The White House sent its proposal that includes nearly $14 billion in supplemental border security funding to Congress in late October, but it will likely look […]
Shoplifting is declining in the Twin Cities, latest data show
Reported cases of shoplifting in Minneapolis and St. Paul have fallen considerably since the pre-pandemic period, according to the latest data from the Council on Criminal Justice, a nonprofit tracking crime figures. In the summer of 2019 businesses in the Twin Cities were reporting around 100 shoplifting incidents each month, but by June of this […]
Duty disability group granted injunction in lawsuit against state
A group representing emergency workers like police and firefighters who were disabled in the line of duty has scored a victory in its lawsuit over a new state law.
U.S. Senate Republicans question Oklahoma judicial nominee on tribal sovereignty
Republicans on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee grilled former Cherokee Nation Attorney General Sara Hill on tribal sovereignty issues at a hearing Wednesday for Hill, nominated to serve as a U.S. district court judge in Oklahoma. Hill, who would be the first Native American woman to be a federal judge in the state, said she […]
Minnesota lawmakers changed felony murder laws, which could mean the release of prisoners
The DFL-controlled Legislature changed the law this year so people can no longer be charged with murder unless they intended to cause a death or were a major participant in a murder.
Cash bail policies are under fresh scrutiny
States can’t figure out what to do about cash bail. The system — in which an arrested suspect pays cash to avoid sitting in jail until their court date and gets the money back when they appear — is deeply entrenched in the nation’s history as a way to ensure defendants return to face justice. […]
White Earth marijuana raid challenges Minnesota cannabis law
About three months ago, Mahnomen County sheriff’s deputies and White Earth tribal police raided Todd Thompson’s tobacco shop, seizing around seven pounds of cannabis, along with $3,000 in cash, his cell phone and surveillance system. The Aug. 2 raid happened the day after recreational marijuana became legal across the state and was the first major […]
Less driving but more deaths: Spike in traffic fatalities puzzles lawmakers
Traffic deaths are lingering near historic highs in most states despite less driving overall, prompting policymakers to consider deploying more police or installing automated monitoring such as speed cameras to curb speeding and reckless driving. People are driving fewer miles than they were in 2019, but more are dying on roadways. Traffic deaths spiked 18% […]
Minnesotans have bought 1.5 million new guns since the start of the pandemic
Close to 1.5 million guns have been sold in Minnesota since the start of the pandemic, according to a new Reformer estimate based on the latest background check data from the FBI. Those numbers reflect a surge in gun purchases at the height of the pandemic, and the gun buying has yet to subside fully. […]
U.S. Supreme Court considers case dealing with gun rights and domestic violence
WASHINGTON — U.S. Supreme Court justices during Tuesday’s oral arguments seemed to lean toward upholding a federal law that prevents the possession of firearms by a person who is subject to a domestic violence protective order. Liberal and conservative justices appeared to side with the Biden administration’s position that the 1994 federal law is in […]