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Courts

Despite federal assurances, critics still worry about Patriot Act's reach

Federal officials say the USA Patriot Act, the anti-terrorism law passed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, does not single out libraries and bookstores for investigation. But critics of one section of the law remain concerned that the Patriot Act may go too far.

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U of M must reveal names of presidential finalists

The state Supreme Court ordered the University of Minnesota on Thursday to reveal the names of candidates the Board of Regents interviewed for the school's presidency in a 2002 search that ended with the hiring of in-house candidate Robert Bruininks. Upholding lower court rulings, justices lifted a stay that allowed the university to keep the presidential search information private.

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Minneapolis attorney reacts to Supreme Court ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that detainees being held at the navel base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba can challenge their confinement in U.S. court. The case is considered a setback for the Bush administration, which has held terror suspects at the base and has maintained that it is beyond the reach of American courts. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer talked with Minneapolis-based lawyer Joe Margulies, who was the lead counsel on the case.
by Cathy Wurzer

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The rights of the disabled

The Supreme Court handed a big victory to disabled people last week with a decision that upholds a key provision of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The provision requires state and local governments to make courthouses accessible.

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Rodriguez charged in Sjodin case; could face death penalty

Convicted sex offender Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. has pleaded not guilty to a federal charge in the kidnapping and death of Dru Sjodin. Rodriguez appeared in federal court in Fargo Wednesday, where he was charged with kidnapping resulting in death. If he is convicted, the 51-year-old Rodriguez of Crookston, Minnesota, could face the death penalty.

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Minnesota's probation system overloaded

Minnesota is putting more criminals on probation. Probation officers are struggling to keep up with their growing workload. Recent budget cuts are adding to the challenge. Some probation officers say public safety is affected when they can't implement the best tools available to keep criminals from committing new crimes.

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Microsoft settles Minnesota class-action lawsuit

Bill Gates will not be coming to Minnesota after all -- at least not to testify on his company's behalf. Lawyers for Microsoft and for Minnesota consumers announced a settlement Monday in the class action suit against the company. The settlement prematurely ends the first trial ever to result from a class action suit against the software maker.

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MnDOT employee wins case over false accusation

Adeel Lari took a big step toward getting his reputation restored this week. Last summer, the high-ranking and well-respected employee of the Minnesota Department of Transportation was investigated and demoted after technicians found pornography on two state-owned laptop computers Lari used. To make matters worse, a MnDOT employee leaked word of the investigation to the media and a flurry of critics demanded Lari be fired. In February, a judge found that Lari was not the one who downloaded the images. The judge determined that MnDOT rushed too quickly to judgment, and that the release of information about the case was illegal. On Tuesday, Lari received an $800,000 settlement deal from MnDOT. He was promoted and received a public apology. Still, Adeel Lari told MPR's David Molpus it will take much longer to repair his reputation.

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Civil liberties groups fear travel "surveillance"

Development is well behind schedule for a new national system to screen airplane passengers. Homeland security officials say the system, known as CAPPS II, is a critical tool to prevent a repeat of 9/11. But Northwest and other airlines are reluctant to even help test it, citing concern about passenger privacy. Some experts see an emerging battle between security and civil liberties that can only be settled in the courts.

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