Session/Law Sound-off
This week’s Sounding Board includes Mary Kunesh, Annette Meeks, John Kaul, Brett Corson and Corey Day. Their topics: Axtell’s exit; front-line failure; rockin’ warhorses
Human Rights’ financial audit ‘generally satisfactory’
OLA: Controls were “generally adequate” to ensure that the Minnesota Department of Human Rights safeguarded state resources, complied with significant finance-related legal requirements and resolved prior audit findings.
MCRO Phase II might wow you
When the state’s Judicial Branch unveils its updated online court records system sometime around the end of the year, users looking for legal documents will get an eyeful.
Prisoner’s negligence suit can proceed, court rules
The Court of Appeals said that the case should proceed for a finder of fact to say whether the guards displayed deliberate indifference to Welters’ physical condition.
Session/Law Agenda
Judiciary chair Q&A: “When you have prosecutors that don’t prosecute entire classes of crime, it puts the public in ultimate danger. It encourages an emboldens criminals.”
Session/Law Sound-off
This week’s Sounding Board includes Pete Orput, Rob Doar, Ron Latz, Nick Zerwas and Mike Freiberg. Their topics: Public safety politics; stumping justices; time out!
Why Session/Law Matters
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Session/Law is an independent newsletter for Minnesota lawyers, lobbyists, legislators and the interested public, written by Kevin Featherly and Barbara L. Jones. We work at the intersection of legal affairs and politics.
There is a fair bit of overlap and interplay there that’s not much explored elsewhere in the Minnesota news media.
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Previous Stories
Session/Law Agenda
A few days after he formally announced his candidacy for Hennepin County Attorney, House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley, spoke with Session/Law for a brief interview.
Session/Law Sound-off
This week’s Sounding Board includes Jeff Hayden, Brian McDaniel, Kim Hunter, Brian Johnson and Abou Amara. We’re adding a new reader poll so you can play along and weigh in on one of the questions we’ve put to them.
Federal judge preserves homeless suit
A group of homeless plaintiffs may proceed with their federal lawsuit against Hennepin County and other defendants in connection with police sweeps of their encampments in 2020, a judge has ruled.
Judge’s health crisis indirectly leads to reversal
Updated, 11:57 a.m., Oct. 6: The defendant did not understand that by pleading guilty, he waived his right to appeal what he claimed was a violation of his speedy-trial rights. The delay was traceable to Judge Fred Karasov’s September 2019 heart attack.
Winkler announces for county attorney
The DFLer told WCCO Radio on Tuesday morning that he is running because “we need leadership in Hennepin County, in Minneapolis and in surrounding suburbs on public safety, on criminal justice reform and racial justice.”
Creek in limbo no more
The Renville County board refused to order an environmental assessment worksheet on a county ditch project, arguing that because Limbo Creek was not on a DNR list, it was not a “public water.” The Court of Appeals on Monday disagreed.
Session/Law Agenda
The governor has authorized expenditure of $13.9 million to aid the courts and the state’s public defenders in tackling a massive backlog of cases that swelled with the arrival of COVID-19.
For Session/Law, a big change
Session/Law is now in process of migrating from Substack to a new, independent website, newsletter and e-commerce operation. It’s basically the same Session/Law as before, just better.
Injunction against Judicial Branch denied
Senior Judge Ivy S. Bernhardson late Thursday denied the Teamster Local 320 union’s injunction request to block an in forma pauperis transcription pilot project that is launching today. The one-year pilot project effectively reduces court reporters’ income.
Session/Law Sound-off
This week’s Sounding Board—Patrick Garofalo, Mary Kunesh, Peter Bell, John Lesch and Greg Davids—take on these topics: Line 3 completed; Carnahan won’t run; wait’ll next year.
