Minnesota Case Commentaries

State v. Oliver: Recognizing Attempted First-Degree Assault-Harm as a Cognizable Offense Under Minnesota’s General Attempt Statute

Date: Dec 12, 2025

State v. Oliver: Recognizing Attempted First-Degree Assault-Harm as a Cognizable Offense Under Minnesota’s General Attempt Statute I. Introduction In State of Minnesota v. Lisa Dawn Oliver, A23‑1062...

Bodily DNA, Inevitable Discovery, and Accomplice Testimony: A Commentary on State v. Steeprock

Date: Dec 5, 2025

Bodily DNA, Inevitable Discovery, and Accomplice Testimony: Commentary on State v. Steeprock, Minnesota Supreme Court (Dec. 3, 2025) I. Introduction The Minnesota Supreme Court’s decision in State v....

Section 204B.44 Is Election-Specific: Post-Election Petitions Are Moot and Cannot Be Reframed for Future Cycles

Date: Nov 15, 2025

Section 204B.44 Is Election-Specific: Post-Election Petitions Are Moot and Cannot Be Reframed for Future Cycles Introduction In Benda for Common-sense, a Minnesota Non-Profit Corporation, and...

Refusal of the Warrant-Specified Chemical Test Alone Supports Criminal Test-Refusal in Minnesota

Date: Nov 15, 2025

Refusal of the Warrant-Specified Chemical Test Alone Supports Criminal Test-Refusal in Minnesota Introduction In State of Minnesota v. Brian Russell Lueck, A24-0250 (Minn. Nov. 12, 2025), the...

Prejudice Established When Counsel Urges Plea Due to Unpreparedness: Minnesota Supreme Court Centers Defendant’s Decision-Making in Ineffective-Assistance Claims

Date: Nov 11, 2025

Prejudice Established When Counsel Urges Plea Due to Unpreparedness: Minnesota Supreme Court Centers Defendant’s Decision-Making in Ineffective-Assistance Claims Introduction In Tescil Romalis...

“Absolutely Privileged” in Minn. Stat. § 268.19, subd. 2(c) Is Immunity from Liability, Not an Evidentiary Bar: McBee v. Team Industries, Inc.

Date: Oct 30, 2025

“Absolutely Privileged” in Minn. Stat. § 268.19, subd. 2(c) Is Immunity from Liability, Not an Evidentiary Bar Commentary on Thaleaha McBee v. Team Industries, Inc., Minnesota Supreme Court (Oct. 29,...

Facial Bans on Transgender Women Are Direct Evidence of MHRA Discrimination; “Legitimate Business Purpose” Requires BFOQ‑like Necessity and Does Not Apply to Public Accommodations

Date: Oct 23, 2025

Facial Bans on Transgender Women Are Direct Evidence of MHRA Discrimination; “Legitimate Business Purpose” Requires BFOQ‑like Necessity and Does Not Apply to Public Accommodations Introduction In...

Nagle’s Rule: Corroboration of a CRI Tip Is a Factor—Not an Independent Requirement—But a Bare, One-Time Drug-Use Observation Within 72 Hours Does Not Establish Probable Cause

Date: Oct 23, 2025

Nagle’s Rule: Corroboration of a CRI Tip Is a Factor—Not an Independent Requirement—But a Bare, One-Time Drug-Use Observation Within 72 Hours Does Not Establish Probable Cause Introduction In State...

Employee-Benefit Only: Minnesota Supreme Court Narrows Recreational Program Exclusion and Clarifies “Reasonably Incidental” Employment Activities

Date: Oct 23, 2025

Employee-Benefit Only: Minnesota Supreme Court Narrows Recreational Program Exclusion and Clarifies “Reasonably Incidental” Employment Activities Introduction In Erin Lindsay v. Minneapolis Public...

Riley v. Minnesota: Rule 27.03 Motions Are Not Time-Barred and PSIs/Sentencing Guidelines Do Not Control Mandatory Life Sentences

Date: Oct 23, 2025

Riley v. Minnesota: Rule 27.03 Motions Are Not Time-Barred and PSIs/Sentencing Guidelines Do Not Control Mandatory Life Sentences Introduction In Adrian Dominic Riley v. State of Minnesota, the...

Overpayment Recovery Requires an Independent Legal Bar at the Time of Payment; PCA Choice Care Plans Must Be Kept in Agency Files

Date: Oct 16, 2025

Overpayment Recovery Requires an Independent Legal Bar at the Time of Payment; PCA Choice Care Plans Must Be Kept in Agency Files Introduction In In the Matter of the SIRS Appeal by Best Care, LLC...

Pattern-Based Disbarment for Repeated Client Neglect, Dishonesty, and Unrefunded Flat Fees; Unconditional Refund Duty Reaffirmed — In re McCloud (Minn. 2025)

Date: Oct 16, 2025

Pattern-Based Disbarment for Repeated Client Neglect, Dishonesty, and Unrefunded Flat Fees; Unconditional Refund Duty Reaffirmed — In re McCloud (Minn. 2025) The Minnesota Supreme Court disbarred...

State v. Weeks: Expert-Supported Fair-Cross-Section Claims Require Postconviction Hearings; § 609.04 Bars Multiple Murder Convictions

Date: Oct 16, 2025

State v. Weeks: Expert-Supported Fair-Cross-Section Claims Require Postconviction Hearings; § 609.04 Bars Multiple Murder Convictions Court: Minnesota Supreme Court Date: October 15, 2025...

Extraordinary Writs to Enforce Priority Admission Are Proceedings “Under Chapter 253B”: Appointed Counsel Required and County-Funded Fees Mandated

Date: Oct 9, 2025

Extraordinary Writs to Enforce Priority Admission Are Proceedings “Under Chapter 253B”: Appointed Counsel Required and County-Funded Fees Mandated Introduction In In the Matter of the Civil...

No Interlocutory Appeals Under Rule 103.03(b) for Trust Code Orders Restoring Property or Removing a Trustee

Date: Sep 25, 2025

No Interlocutory Appeals Under Rule 103.03(b) for Trust Code Orders Restoring Property or Removing a Trustee Introduction In this precedential decision, the Minnesota Supreme Court clarifies a...

“Received” Means Where Any Recipient Takes Possession: Minnesota Supreme Court Clarifies Service-Receipt Sourcing Is Not Limited to Direct Customers

Date: Sep 25, 2025

“Received” Means Where Any Recipient Takes Possession: Minnesota Supreme Court Clarifies Service-Receipt Sourcing Is Not Limited to Direct Customers Introduction In Humana MarketPoint, Inc., Relator...

Waiver-by-Acceptance Applies Equally to Publicly Subsidized and Private Tenancies; “Acceptance” Is a Fact Question Assessed by the Totality of Circumstances

Date: Sep 25, 2025

Waiver-by-Acceptance Applies Equally to Publicly Subsidized and Private Tenancies; “Acceptance” Is a Fact Question Assessed by the Totality of Circumstances Introduction In Hook & Ladder Apartments,...

Two-Track Specificity for Restitution Challenges: Minnesota Supreme Court Requires Offenders to Specify “Item” versus “Amount” under Minn. Stat. § 611A.045, subd. 3(a) — State v. Seeman (2025)

Date: Sep 25, 2025

Two-Track Specificity for Restitution Challenges: Minnesota Supreme Court Requires Offenders to Specify “Item” versus “Amount” under Minn. Stat. § 611A.045, subd. 3(a) Introduction In State of...

When Legal Error Becomes Judicial Misconduct: Minnesota Supreme Court Adopts “Clear and Determined Law + Egregiousness” Test and Holds Rule 2.3(A) Requires Actual Bias

Date: Sep 23, 2025

When Legal Error Becomes Judicial Misconduct: Minnesota Supreme Court Adopts “Clear and Determined Law + Egregiousness” Test and Holds Rule 2.3(A) Requires Actual Bias Introduction In Inquiry into...

“At Any Time” Means At Any Time: Minnesota High Court Allows Unlimited Window to Seek Withdrawal of TPR Admissions and Imposes Prima Facie Hearing Threshold

Date: Sep 18, 2025

“At Any Time” Means At Any Time: Minnesota High Court Allows Unlimited Window to Seek Withdrawal of TPR Admissions and Imposes Prima Facie Hearing Threshold Decision: In the Matter of the Welfare of...