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A ruling in Minnesota’s Court of Appeals may have implications for how state police implement drunken driving laws in the future. The court overturned the conviction of Todd Trahan, who was sentenced to five years in prison after he was arrested for drunk driving in October 2012 in Ramsey County – after having been convicted of DWI several times previously.…
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, Labor Day is the second deadliest major holiday on Minnesota roads. And this is highlighted by the fact that over the last five years there have been 24 deaths at his time of year, thought of by many as the last big celebration of summer. So if you’re off out this weekend, before you…
Drivers having their license revoked for a DUI or DWI is common across the country. But it is also possible for the courts in Minnesota to actually revoke license plates, meaning you have the humiliation and inconvenience of using ‘whiskey plates.’ But just what are they and what function do they serve. Here’s a look at everything you need to…
Earlier this week, the MN Supreme Court issued its highly anticipated decision in the matter of State v. Bernard. In a 5-2 decision, the Court held that a person arrested for DWI can face additional serious criminal sanctions if they refuse to submit to an official breath test at the station/jail. This is a disappointing decision on a number of…
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety is teaming up with former Minnesota Viking Chuck Foreman to crack down on drunk driving on Super Bowl Sunday. DWI arrests have gone up by 24% during Super Bowl weekend over the past 10 years compared to the weekend before and 18% compared to the weekend after. Extra patrols will be out in Minnesota’s…
Law enforcement officers across Minnesota will be on the lookout for drunk drivers over the holiday period, so motorists beware. The festive safety campaign runs on weekends through December 27 and according to the state Department of Public Safety, during the Thanksgiving holiday period alone 1,624 drivers have been arrested for driving while impaired since 2011. In a press release…
A 36-year-old woman who crashed into a fire station in St. Paul on Friday night has been cited for driving while impaired. Although the station at West Seventh Street and Randolph Avenue was damaged, nobody was injured in the incident. Angela Montoya of St. Paul told police she was driving west on Seventh Street about 9:30 pm when a vehicle…
Drivers who claimed they were not drunk while driving may have been right after all, despite being prosecuted. Somerset County District Attorney Lisa Lazzari-Strasiser said her office in Pennsylvania has not been performing a mathematical calculation needed to convert hospital tests on drivers’ blood, which enable the results to be used as evidence in court, according to the Daily American.…
With over 17,000 fatalities and approximately half a million individuals sustaining injuries from alcohol-related crashes each year, DWI/DUI is among the most commonly committed crimes on U.S. roads. In an effort to tackle the problem DWI or sobriety checkpoints are commonplace across the country as many state lawmakers believe that they are an effective way to cut the extremely worrying…
Minnesota is one of many states that have laws giving the police and prosecutors the power to seize and ultimately forfeit a vehicle used by a repeat offender to commit a DWI. At first, this sounds like a reasonable, just goal. After all, the public must be protected from repeat offenders by taking away their means to put others at…