Every crime is either a felony or a misdemeanor, with the former being the more serious of the two. But, when it comes to misdemeanors vs. felonies, what are the key differences, and what are the practical implications of each when you’ve been convicted?
On Tuesday, May 30, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed a bill that legalizes the recreational use, purchase, and possession of marijuana for state residents over the age of 21. The move makes Minnesota the 23rd state to end cannabis prohibition (adult-use marijuana is also legal in Washington, DC).
According to the Minnesota Board of Public Defense, court-appointed lawyers represent about 150,000 individuals in criminal cases in state courts each year. Public defenders represent the majority of felony defendants, and most minors accused of crimes as well.
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.
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.
Official statistics show that there were over 150,000 arrests in the state of Minnesota in 2019.
Regardless of the circumstances, most arrests tend to unfold in a similar fashion. The correct approach for the person being detained to take also remains largely the same from one arrest to the next.
Top 20 DWI Questions in MN
