Courts

December 4, 2003 6:00 PM

Corrections officials change sex offender review policy

The arrest of a convicted rapist in the disappearance of Dru Sjodin has prompted changes in the way Minnesota corrections officials decide when offenders should be recommended for extended commitment.

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November 21, 2003 10:20 AM

Court says marriage is a right for gay couples

The ruling by Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court makes gay marriage a constitutional right in that state. Should the definition of marriage be extended to same-sex couples? What impact could it have on society?

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November 3, 2003 11:20 AM

Do more open judicial elections make a better judicial system?

Judicial elections point to tension in the way our democracy operates: judges serve an important role in civic life, but questions surround how much judges should tell voters about where they stand on issues. There's also concern about the potential influence of money should campaigns for judgeships become more heated.

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October 31, 2003 12:01 AM

Minnesota's Court of Appeals turns 20

Minnesota's Court of Appeals turns 20 years on Sunday. The Court of Appeals is busy -- 95 percent of the time, it's the court that issues the final ruling on a case. And unlike other courts, the 16 judges must rule within 90 days, the shortest deadline of any appellate court in the nation.

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October 29, 2003 12:00 PM

The legacy of the Reserve Mining case

Lake Superior's water is famous for being clear and clean. But the lake was an early battleground in the fight over environmental protection. Reserve Mining Co. used to dump its waste rock into the lake. Tons of sediment poured into the lake every day for 25 years, turning the water gray-green and muddy. Duluth's drinking water, 50 miles away, was contaminated with a fiber that might cause cancer. The fight to stop the pollution was an early chapter in the history of the environmental movement.

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October 24, 2003 11:23 AM

Attorneys remember man who changed legal landscape for the poor

The phrase is commonplace during arrests -- "You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you free of charge." But that wasn't always the case in the American legal system. Before a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 1963, states weren't required to fund public defenders. So many poor people accused of crimes were forced to defend themselves in court. Members of the Minnesota Bar held a celebration Thursday recognizing the Gideon Ruling at a time when state public defenders have asked for relief from soaring caseloads.

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October 24, 2003 9:43 AM

Former employee details lawsuit against Dayton

The man suing U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton for firing him spoke publicly this week for the first time about his lawsuit. Brad Hanson ran Dayton's Health Care Help Line. He says he was fired in July 2002, after telling Dayton he needed heart surgery. Dayton won't discuss Hanson's firing, but his chief of staff says Hanson was fired because he didn't do his job.

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October 23, 2003 2:08 PM

Bemidji police officials dispute racial profiling study

A recent study shows racial profiling occurs across Minnesota. In Bemidji, the study sparked renewed protests by American Indians. They've complained for years that Indians in the region are unfairly targeted by law enforcement. Now, some are demanding action. But law enforcement officials in Bemidji deny racial profiling exists. They say the study is flawed.

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October 22, 2003 5:14 PM

Judge speaks out against Congress, Ashcroft

The man who recently led Congress to monitor federal judges' sentencing practices says he's disappointed with the "rhetoric" of Minnesota U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson. Magnuson Tuesday sharply criticized policies instituted by Congress and the U.S. attorney general as intimidation against judges over leniency in sentencing. The author of the policies, U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney of Florida, says they were merely meant to hold judges accountable, not to threaten the independence of the court.

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October 10, 2003 12:01 AM

Dedicating a memorial

Duluth has a new park. It's a small plaza, on a street corner, right downtown. But this is an unusual place. There probably isn't anything like it anywhere else in the country. It's a memorial to three men who were hanged from a lamppost across the street in the infamous Duluth lynching.

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