Short answer: You won’t! Stores are cracking down on the practice of “skip scanning,” which is where a shopper uses the self-checkout to bag their items while only pretending to scan and pay for some or all of them. Many stores have increased their self-checkout capacity due to the Covid-19 pandemic and skip scanning has become much more prevalent as...
In Minnesota, prostitution can be charged as a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, or misdemeanor, depending on the facts of the case. Misdemeanor prostitution can be charged when: A person engages in prostitution with an individual who is 18 years or older, or person is hired, offers to be hired, or agrees to be hired by an individual who is 18 or...
Minnesota statutes identify five degrees of assault. Within each degree, however, are several factors that could result in that charge. First degree assault is the most serious and brings felony-level charges that can result in a sentence of 20 years in prison. Below is a chart outlining the differences in the levels of assault in Minnesota. First Degree Causes great...
As with many legal questions, the answer is it depends. In 2021, Congress signed a bill into law that requires the court to defer prosecution for an “eligible offense” committed by a defendant who was or currently is a member of the United States military and is suffering from an “applicable condition.” Eligible offenses include any misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor,...
There has been a new bill that passed Minnesota’s House of Representatives that aims to help make expungements easier for those with criminal records – it is called the Clean Slate Act. Representative Jamie Long drafted the bill with the premise of allowing the population of Minnesotans with a criminal background, approximately 25 percent of residents, an “opportunity for redemption.”...
As many folks may be aware, April 20 (4/20) is a day to celebrate/honor/recognize marijuana. Just so you’re aware, in some states, it’s legal to possess marijuana for recreational use. These states include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. However, even...
On the self-proclaimed “greatest night in television,” the 2022 Oscars, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in the face after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Rock made a comment about being excited for “G.I. Jane 2” to point out Pinkett’s shaved head, which triggered Smith’s response to defend her honor. After this tumultuous moment, fans are...
The short answer is—sometimes. There are three general circumstances when lying to the police is considered a crime in Minnesota: Lying about your identity; Filing a false police report or lying about police misconduct; and Lying under oath (perjury). Lying About your Identity In Minnesota, it is a misdemeanor to give a fictitious name, date of birth, or identification card...
We hear people talk about getting fingerprinted for a variety of reasons. But where do these fingerprints go? And when does someone need to get fingerprinted? Fingerprinting data is sent to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). The BCA compiles fingerprints and other identification data into a criminal database to facilitate connecting individuals to crimes. Fingerprinting data will stay within...
Many people may believe that an arrest is only legal if a police officer has a warrant to arrest the person or if the police officer sees the person commit a crime. However, this is not always the case; warrantless arrests are allowed under limited circumstances depending on the offense. For example, if the crime at issue is a misdemeanor,...