Minnesota Lawyer

The state does not have to prove that a child actually is in need of protection or services to convict a defendant of encouraging that need, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in the case of a man with a “delusional fantasy” about marrying a 10-year-old girl.

Our review of issues in state and national news, with a rotating cast of political people in the know.

Both sides declared victory following a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling Wednesday that affirms the Court of Appeals’ rejection of PolyMet Mining’s permit for a proposed copper-nickel mine near Babbitt and Hoyt Lakes.

A dispute over wage theft and withheld sick time — and the repercussions from public comments made about those subjects — might be on its way to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals reversed a conviction, saying that to prove guilt of second-degree burglary, the state must prove that the burglar had a tool for the purpose of gaining access to money or property.

In a decision with implications for the Derek Chauvin trial, the state Supreme Court has ruled that pattern jury instructions, long used by judges in third-degree depraved-mind murder cases, have been used in error.

March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day. But on that same day, the Judicial Branch will give the law-loving public another reason to raise a toast.

A wrongful-death claim filed by the mother of a man who died from an untreated illness while in custody at the Beltrami County jail is moving forward.

People and Practices recognizes new hires and promotions. Submissions are encouraged.

The jail sentence for a defendant in the Starkey Laboratories fraud case will remain intact, thanks to a recent decision by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.