Search Results for: Minnesota

A Minnesota state court Monday convicted former police officer Tou Thao of aiding and abetting second degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. Thao was one of the four police officers present at the 2020 arrest that resulted in Floyd’s death. Unlike the other officers, Thao did not participate in holding Floyd down, but [...]

The Minnesota Court of Appeals Monday upheld the conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd during a 2020 arrest. In doing so, the court denied Chauvin’s request for a new trial or reversal of his conviction. In the decision, the court rendered holdings on twelve issues and concluded that [...]

The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) Tuesday released a report detailing Americans’ experiences with gun violence. The report demonstrated a disproportionate effect of gun violence on people of color. The report surveyed 1,271 U.S. adults about their personal experience with guns. Of those surveyed, 21 percent reported being personally threatened with a gun and 19 percent [...]

The US Department of Justice Wednesday reached a $144.5 million settlement with families of those injured and killed in the 2017 mass shooting at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas. In 2017 Devin Kelley opened fire during a church service, killing 26 and injuring 22 others. Kelley later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. [...]

A federal judge for the US District Court of Minnesota Friday struck down a Minnesota law requiring individuals to be at least 21 to obtain a permit to carry a handgun in public. US District Judge Katherine Menendez ruled that the minimum age requirement violated the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms and [...]

The City of Minneapolis Friday reached an agreement with the state of Minnesota to revamp the city’s police department. The agreement lays out a wholesale evaluation of policing practices within the City of Minneapolis, spanning use of force procedures to data system transparency. The agreement is a representation of over eight months of negotiation between the [...]

In recent months, more than a dozen American states have sought to restrict or ban drag performances, with many framing these legislative moves as aimed at protecting minors. In this explainer, JURIST unpacks the trend and highlights its worrying implications for free speech. What is drag? Drag is an art form, wherein individuals dressed in [...]

The Minnesota Supreme Court Wednesday upheld a state law prohibiting convicted felons from voting while on probation or parole in a 3-1 ruling. The law at issue, Minn. Stat. § 609.165 (2022), restores a felon’s right to vote upon the “discharge” of their sentence, meaning that a felon is only able to vote in the [...]

Hamline University in Minnesota has fired adjunct art professor Erika Lopez Prater for showing 14th-century paintings of the Prophet Muhammad in class. The University asserts that the professor’s act is Islamophobic and that bringing the artwork to the classroom with Muslim students breached the limits of academic freedom. The facts do not suggest that Professor [...]

The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota (ACLU-MN) Wednesday reached a settlement with the city of Minneapolis over police mistreatment of civilians during 2020 protests spurred by the murder of George Floyd. The settlement includes a $600,000 payment, $50,000 to each injured protester, and numerous reforms. The 12 plaintiffs suffered injuries including bruising from less-lethal [...]