Assault charges in Minnesota involve a crime of violence against another person. Assault cases are pursued according to the seriousness of the injury suffered by the victim and the relationship between the victim and the defendant. Minnesota assault statutes contain six types of assault charges: First Degree Assault Second Degree Assault Third Degree Assault Fourth Degree Assault Fifth [...]

We’re routinely asked by potential clients if they should take a lie detector test when requested to do so by a police investigator. People often want to clear their names and hope that cooperation will move things along. However, there is not a single reason you should take a lie detector test when asked to do [...]

A “pretrial” hearing is a person’s last court appearance on a criminal charge prior to trial. At this hearing, the parties generally have gathered all the information they need to fully negotiate the case, including crime victim input. In negotiating the case, the prosecuting attorney will consider the following factors: Severity of the crime and its impact [...]

Minnesota law classifies criminal sexual conduct into five categories: first- through fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct. Each degree of the crime covers a variety of behavior, with first-degree carrying the most severe penalties and fifth-degree the least severe. Generally speaking, the first-degree and third-degree crimes apply to sexual conduct involving sexual penetration of the victim; the [...]