Crime, Law and Justice

In Minnesota, jail deaths spiked last year despite new protections
Last year, 20 people died while in custody of Minnesota county jails. Justice advocates have called for more scrutiny of those deaths. A state official says mental health and addiction issues are key factors.
Finding meaning in George Floyd’s death through protest art left at his murder site
For months after George Floyd was killed by police in May 2020, people from around the world traveled to the site of his murder in Minneapolis and left signs, paintings and poems. Now hundreds of those artifacts are being displayed at an exhibit at the Arizona State University Art Museum. It’s the first time the work is on public display outside of Minnesota.
St. Paul rec center shooter gets 10 years in plea deal
A Ramsey County judge on Friday handed a decadelong sentence to a former St. Paul recreation center employee who shot and critically wounded a teenager last year. During a fight with a group of teens at the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center, Exavir Dwayne Binford Jr. pulled out a gun and shot JuVaughn Turner, then 16, in his forehead.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said 33-year-old Jerry Jones of Willmar was shot multiple times. He’s currently in the hospital in stable condition.
Conservative group offers $15K reward for info about office arson
The Center of the American Experiment is offering a $15,000 reward for information that leads to the conviction of whoever set fires at the office building that houses its headquarters and those of two other conservative policy advocacy groups.
Minneapolis City Council approves $950,000 settlement with journalists detained or injured during 2020 unrest
The Minneapolis City Council voted Thursday to approve a $950,000 settlement on behalf of journalists detained or injured by Minneapolis police during unrest following George Floyd’s killing in 2020. 
Feeding Our Future founder says state regulators hid documents, used burner phones
The alleged leader of a conspiracy to steal hundreds of millions of dollars in hunger relief funds is herself claiming wrongdoing on the part of state officials who oversee the programs. Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock said staff at the Minnesota Department of Education intentionally mislabeled documents and used burner phones to thwart a lawsuit.
U.S. Department of Education launches investigation of Edina school district
The case comes after two Edina High School students filed a federal complaint late last year, alleging the school district discriminated against them when they were suspended for using a pro-Palestinian chant during a walkout to protest the Israel-Hamas war.