Court upholds murder conviction

The state Supreme Court has upheld a Hennepin County murder conviction in which the lead prosecutor was unauthorized to practice law.

A Hennepin County jury found Alonzo Graham guilty of shooting and killing a Burnsville man two years ago. Shortly before sentencing, the county attorney's office learned that the case's lead prosecutor had been restricted from practicing law for 20 years because she had failed to keep up with her continuing legal education requirements.

Graham argued on appeal that Minnesota should follow Illinois, which throws out any prosecution by an attorney unauthorized to practice law. But the Minnesota Supreme Court adopted a more flexible approach because it said it was reluctant to set aside a criminal conviction when the state had fairly established guilt.

It held that Graham had to prove that he was actually prejudiced by the fact that the prosecutor was unlicensed. A judge sentenced Graham to 50 years.