A traffic citation claiming a violation that by default is a petty misdemeanor, becomes a misdemeanor requiring a court appearance if the police officer checks the "endanger any person or property" box. See Minnesota Statutes Section 169.89. Even if it didn't, it's smart to... View More

There is more than one way to get one's driver's license suspended, revoked or cancelled in Minnesota. One of the those is to get "convicted" of speeding over 100 miles per hour, which triggers a six-month license revocation. Another way is Minnesota's "habitual... View More

The only way I am aware of is to file a motion to reopen / withdraw plea with the court. The argument is best when the driver paid the fine without a court appearance - so no lawyer, no hearing, did not knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently waive their rights; and the prosecutor is not unfairly... View More

No same/similar offenses will be a requirement of any sentence that you receive. That doesn't necessarily mean that the offense won't go on your record. You will be given an opportunity to speak with the city attorney. They might be willing to agree to a disposition whereby this... View More

Consider getting help from a defense attorney. Consider asking the prosecutor for an outcome that would avoid a conviction (including on the driver's license record), such as a Stay of Adjudication. But avoid discussing the facts, admissions or defenses with the prosecutor. If the case... View More

Minnesota Statutes Sec. 171.08 says that every licensee shall have the license in immediate possession at all times when operating a motor vehicle and shall display it upon demand of a peace officer. But it's a defense in court or the office of the arresting officer to later present a... View More

When bicycling

Follow the law - obey all traffic signs and signals. Ride in the same direction as traffic.

Ride predictable - maintain a straight course and avoid weaving between parked cars.

Communicate your intent - look, yield to traffic and signal before turning or... View More

The truck's owner could locate the impound lot & ask what they will need to release the truck back to the owner. If a driver's license revocation Notice under Minnesota's "implied consent" law was issued, that must be formally challenged in a court filing before the... View More

Perhaps the most important reason to have human police officers conduct traffic stops, is so that they can positively identify the driver on the spot, with a driver's license photo. When a city sends a citation or summons charging a traffic violation where there was no police traffic stop,... View More

Based on that description, it sounds like the father was convicted by default, for not responding to a petty misdemeanor charge. He could file a motion with the court to re-open the case (can use downloadable forms on the Minnesota Courts website), getting a hearing date for that motion, then... View More

The citation doesn't become invalid because there is incorrect information on the citation. It can be amended by the prosecutor at any point, even up to the point of trial. This is something that your son and grandson ought to be addressing. Your grandson was likely given a citation and... View More

No. The recent Minnesota Supreme Court decision, State v. Bee, A23-1257 (Minnesota February 19, 2025). decided an issue of the interpretation of statutory language - the meaning of "public place" in the context of a criminal charge for carrying in a public place, where the "public... View More

No, the decision yesterday does not open the floodgates to suspicionless motor vehicle searches. There are certainly circumstances where your car can be searched without consent, for example a search incident to arrest, but cops are not going to be able to search cars whenever they want and... View More

Anyone can go to the Minnesota Courts website https://www.mncourts.gov/ and access case records using the citation number on the ticket (or court file number). That's important because the court disables a name search until the defendant has been convicted. If the citation shows up, after a... View More

Some prosecutors will offer the defendant a chance to avoid a smaller license related conviction on their records, if they chow up in court with the issue with their license recticitfied, plus payment of "court costs." No guarantees, but you can ask. Since the issue will need to be... View More

Normally forever. Exception: expungement possibility. But if the defendant instead sets up a court date and gets a prosecutor to agree to an outcome that will eventually avoid a conviction (Continuance for Dismissal, or Stay of Adjudication), then upon successful completion of the period of the... View More

Some Minnesota misdemeanors are treated as "payable offenses" by Minnesota courts, meaning the defendant can be convicted by paying a fine without a court appearance. But taka a look at Minnesota Statutes Section 171.173, saying that such a conviction would trigger a suspension of... View More

If police have no speed measurement evidence, such as RADAR or LIDAR, the prosecution will have less evidence to present at a trial. So that is more favorable for the defendant. But, all the many considerations for defending a speeding ticket would still apply, including how to persuade a... View More

Police can lawfully stop a driver if they observe a violation, or facts amounting to "reasonable, articulable suspicion of criminal activity." Since Minnesota laws requires a working plate light, lack of one can be a lawful basis for a stop. If working, but police claim the contrary, a... View More

Context provides meaning. A prudent driver would stop for a red light, even when the cross streets at the intersection are blocked off. But a drivers defending a citation for failure to obey a red light might defend the case arguing that the signal should be treated as a stop sign, given the... View More