The Second Amendment to the US Constitution protects the right of every American to own and use firearms. However, the courts have ruled that this right can be limited, and even taken away in some circumstances (these vary from state to state).
The longer it takes to press charges against an individual suspected of committing a criminal offense, the more difficult it becomes to give them a fair trial. Memories fade, and reliable evidence becomes harder to collect.
Statistics from the Stanford Open Policing Project indicate there are over 50,000 police traffic stops in the United States on an average day. These stops are the most common type of interaction between road users and law enforcement.
The revocation of your Minnesota driving license can have devastating impacts on your life, especially if you rely on your car for work, education, or essential family purposes. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to be aware of what kind of offenses can result in one of these punishments.
According to statistics from the Prison Policy Initiative, there are approximately 21,000 people in some form of incarceration in Minnesota. Diversion programs for certain categories of lower-level offenses help to keep this number from increasing too quickly. These schemes may also help you to get back on the road following a driving license revocation or suspension.
You may have heard of the concept of having a prison sentence reduced for “good behavior” in movies or TV, or of inmates leaving custody on parole. These are features of a system called indeterminate sentencing; in Minnesota, the authorities use the opposite framework, which is called determinate sentencing.
There are approximately 500,000 school buses on the road across the United States, making the school-bus system America’s biggest public transportation network. In Minnesota, as in many other states, there are traffic laws that relate specifically to school buses, such as the regulations around the vehicles’ stop arms.
The state of Minnesota offers a free Public Criminal History Search that allows internet users to access details of past criminal convictions Minnesotans have picked up. The availability of details about any past criminal conviction you have could affect your ability to secure work and accommodation.
You’re likely familiar with the process of pleading during criminal trials. You can plead guilty (which is how the majority of criminal convictions occur), or not guilty, which usually means your case will be decided by way of a jury trial.
