Courts

Criminal cases against Line 3 protesters stress rural Minnesota legal system
Hundreds of pipeline cases are straining resources in the northern Minnesota counties where most of the protests took place. Some protesters say they have had to wait months for a public defender.
MN Supreme Court blocks remake of pardon process
The Minnesota Supreme Court ordered Thursday that a three-person Board of Pardons must be in full agreement to clear a crime off a person’s record.
The Supreme Court heads toward reversing abortion rights
The court's most conservative members upheld the Texas law, but almost as important as the result was how the court reached its decision — without full briefing and arguments before any court.
Man convicted of murdering Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts in 2018 gets life in prison
A man was sentenced to life in prison without parole Monday in the abduction and killing of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts, three years after she disappeared while out for an evening run.
Minnesota court deals yet another setback to pipeline foes
The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday affirmed a decision by state pollution regulators to issue a water quality certification for Enbridge Energy's Line 3 crude oil pipeline, the latest setback for opponents who are trying to stop the project as it nears completion.
Suspect in Buffalo clinic shootings ruled competent to stand trial
Attorneys for a man charged in the fatal shooting of a staff member and wounding of four others at a health clinic in Buffalo, Minn., said Wednesday they will not fight a court exam that found their client mentally competent to stand trial.