Recent content from Randy Furst
Minnesota courts will resume in-person criminal trials March 15
After a four-month hiatus caused by the pandemic, in-person criminal jury trials will resume in state district courts on March 15, Minnesota Supreme Court Chief…
What does it take to become a police officer in Minnesota?
In light of recent issues with police officer conduct, one reader wanted to know what kind of training law enforcement officers get in the state.
Former Mpls. cop accused of drug theft is ordered freed pending trial
An attorney for fired cop Ty Jindra persuades U.S. judge magistrate that he was not threatening a potential witness.
Prosecutor says Pine County sheriff's deputy was justified in a shooting death on Interstate 35
Pine County attorney says deputy's use of deadly force warranted after chase.
3 dead in 'hellish' St. Paul shootings, including teen and child
A search was underway late Saturday for a suspect or suspects.
Minneapolis settles first suit stemming from Floyd protests
The lawsuit is one of several legal actions alleging police misconduct during the Floyd protest, including an incident captured by a New York-based photojournalist.
U.S. magistrate judge recommends rejection of suit by Waseca women inmates over handling of COVID-19
U.S. Magistrate also said the court lacked the authority to release a large number of inmates as sought by the ACLU.
Citing threats, Minnesota closes federal court facilities through next week
Even judiciary staff will be barred from entering Minnesota's federal buildings.
Minnesota will continue suspension of criminal jury trials but offer more exceptions
Courts will offer a few more exceptions to allow jury criminal trials and will allow for remotely
Study: 'Less lethal' weapons used by police during George Floyd protests 'not appropriate,' caused significant injuries
Study deplores use of less-than-lethal weapons used against protesters during the George Floyd demonstrations in Minneapolis last year.
How are courts in Minnesota coping with the pandemic?
There were only five state jury trials in December, with COVID-19 protocols in place, but plenty of court hearings are happening, mostly remotely.
ACLU accuses Bureau of Prisons of 'deliberate indifference' for outbreak among Waseca inmates
The ACLU asked a court to release inmates at prison hard hit by pandemic but a lawyer for prison said court lacked jurisdiction.
ACLU sues Waseca prison, claiming COVID spread like 'wildfire'
An inmate said it was a COVID "zombieland" inside the federal women's prison in Waseca
Minnesota farm leader Anne Kanten dies
Anne Kanten fought bank foreclosures, organized tractorcades to Washington, D.C., and mobilized support for state and federal policy reforms to protect small farmers both in…
Judge rips Minnesota Corrections Department for failing to stem the surge in COVID-19 cases
Nearly half of the state inmates have contracted COVID-19 and a Ramsey District Judge says state prison officials have failed.
Former judge seeks historic designation for fire station that opened with all-Black crew
Until recently, hardly anyone knew that an aging building on Hiawatha Avenue in south Minneapolis was once a fire station that housed an all-Black fire…
Mary S. White, longtime Minnesota peace activist, dies at 87
In the fall of 1981, 10 women gathered at Loretta's Tea Room in south Minneapolis to discuss the formation of a new antiwar organization, Women…
Citing COVID concerns, Minnesota courts suspend trials and in-person hearings for two months
Pause starts Nov. 30, also makes hearings remote.
Public Defender asks Hennepin County chief judge to halt out-of-custody hearings until pandemic eases
Risks for out-of-custody cases in Hennepin County are too great, she said.
Is it legal to panhandle in the median of Minneapolis city streets?
The legality of panhandling on a median is a bit complicated. "Whether it's legal or not depends on how you conduct yourself," says Timothy Richards of the Minneapolis City Attorney's Office.
Minnesota voter site experiencing outages just days before election
The absentee ballot tracker is back up, but an ongoing outage involving the voter registration system could lead to longer lines at early voting sites. Another short outage was planned just after 3 p.m. Saturday to work on the problems.
Red flags before 2-year-old foster child's death, her family's lawsuit says
Tot's grandparents say social worker, system and staff knew of troubles.
Federal judge in Minneapolis sentences Iranian businessman for violating U.S. sanctions
The operator of a financial services firm was sentenced to time served for violating U.S. sanctions on his country.
Unarmed Moose Lake man who was shot by deputy and paralyzed wins $6.2 million settlement
Carlton County payment may be the largest such settlement outside metro.
After a 6-month hiatus due to COVID, federal jury trials resume in Minnesota
A federal court judge suggests the new jury box in Minneapolis looks a lot like a penalty box at a hockey game.
Dean Rebuffoni, longtime environmental journalist, dies at 77
A love for the outdoors led to a career covering the major battles and controversies over Minnesota's environmental issues.
Two more lawsuits filed against Minneapolis over injuries caused by police after George Floyd killing
One said he was cleaning Lake St. in afternoon when he was hurt; other was at a protest.
College student sues city of Minneapolis over eye injury from projectile during Floyd protests
A student claims a cop shot a projectile into her face after a protest over George Floyd's killing, then left without helping her.
Richfield man charged with arson in fire at Target HQ during Nicollet Mall unrest
He allegedly broke into Target headquarters and lit a fire in the mailroom before fleeing.
Minn. woman who aided al-Shabab gets early release
Hawo Mohamed Hassan was scheduled to be released in January 2021.
Georgie Herman, a beloved University of Minnesota librarian, dies of COVID-19 at 88
For nearly three decades, reference librarian Georgianna Herman was a prime resource for graduate students in industrial relations at the University of Minnesota. Herman oversaw…
U.S. attorney, other Minn. law enforcement officials assess work of task force now winding down
A command center will close and daily meetings will end, but U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald said law enforcement representatives will continue to communicate virtually.
Man pleads guilty to false claim that his wife planned to bomb Mall of America
The Richfield man, using a false name, sent the letter to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service in retaliation against his wife, who was in the naturalization process at the time, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Minneapolis, St. Paul men get long federal prison terms in separate child pornography cases
One man used his employment and volunteer work at schools to victimize at least 10 boys. The other collected porn while on probation for similar conduct.
Woman gets 6 months in prison for helping to falsify robberies for visa status
Woman tried to help four people get special visas by falsely claiming they were victims of robbery by two Somali men.
Savage, Minn., man pleads guilty to firebombing Dakota County building
The fire bombing occurred May 29, four days after George Floyd died while being restrained by police in south Minneapolis
Mpls. chief talked about duty to halt police misconduct years before Floyd death
In 2017, Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria “Rondo” Arradondo met with a small group of community activists who urged him to adopt a training program that…
Minnesota joins suit to protect election mail
Suits allege new Postal Service policies could slow down delivery of ballots in November.
Minnesota man sentenced to 35 years for child porn, 'sextortion'
A 21-year old man threatened rape and murder if underage girls did not send him explicit video and photos of themselves
In battle over mail-in voting, the mail in Minnesota is running late
With plenty of examples of slow mail delivery in the Twin Cities, some customers feel as if they have become collateral damage.
3 Nigerians indicted in cyber-fraud case involving stolen Ceridian W-2s
Three Nigerian nationals stole W-2 and other personal information from Bloomington firm as part of a tax fraud scheme.
Lois Riess pleads guilty to murder and is sentenced to life without parole
Already convicted of a Florida murder, she pleaded guilty to killing her husband in Blooming Prairie.
Minneapolis man gets 33 years for sex trafficking
Man operated a sauna in northeast Minneapolis and trafficked in young women and girls, prosecutors said.
Man sues Minneapolis police officer for allegedly shoving him to the ground near Floyd memorial
The officer was initially not identified in the suit but was named in an amended complaint.
Man charged with committing four armed robberies in Twin Cities last Friday
Derrick Lee Spillman is accused of robbing two Holiday gas stations, a Speedway and a Subway over a 9-hour period.
Fired Mpls. officer Tou Thao seeks dismissal of charges in Floyd's killing
His lawyers argue that county prosecutors have failed to show Thao knew that Derek Chauvin and the other officers were going to commit a crime.
Floyd family seeks 'financially prohibitive' precedent in suit vs. Minneapolis, officers
The lawsuit contends that the officers used deadly force in non-deadly circumstances and that a lack of proper training and departmental culture led to George Floyd's death.
Long fight over NFL team's name hits home in Minnesota
American Indian leaders and longtime allies hailed a victory many felt was long overdue after more than 30 years of protests over the nicknames of sports teams that have been condemned as racist.
Family of Somali-American man sues over his shooting death by police in Eagan in 2019
Dakota County attorney concluded the shooting of Isak Aden was justified.
Arson charges dropped against woman arrested in burning of St. Paul store after George Floyd's killing
The 19-year-old's attorney says video showed that she was not involved in the arson at St. Paul health supplement store.
Judge lets suit go forward against Rochester cop, citing potentially 'racist' remarks
U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank mentions George Floyd and Philando Castile in declining to dismiss the case.
Cops stopping cops: Many cities have rules but no training
The police killing of George Floyd a month ago is prompting new scrutiny of the three officers who failed to intervene before the handcuffed suspect…
Mystery remains over death outside pawn shop during Minneapolis unrest
Weeks after Calvin Horton Jr. was shot, his family has few answers
Randy Staten, civil rights leader and former legislator, dies at 76
Staten was an advocate for civil rights and recovery from chemical dependency, a scourge he knew all too well.
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ATF offers $10,000 reward for couple sought in St. Paul fires
The two are believed to be traveling south, the ATF said, adding that the public should be on the lookout for them along the Interstate 35 corridor.
Minnesota ACLU sues to halt alleged misconduct by enforcement agencies against media
The American Civil Liberties Union seeks a temporary restraining order on law enforcement.
Minneapolis Legal Rights Center celebrates 50 years of rebalancing legal disparities
From its earliest days, the Legal Rights Center (LRC) has been a major community asset, representing low-income clients, particularly people of color, in…
Law enforcement experts denounce Minneapolis police use of force in George Floyd's death
Legal experts say officer acted wrongly in putting his knee on Floyd's neck.
Hennepin County proposal to end leases at buildings housing services for minorities draws fire
The County Board will consider more data at a meeting Thursday, with a decision possible as early as June 2.
Embattled landlord sells last of his Minneapolis buildings, giving control to tenants
They'll buy five buildings after a yearslong battle with a derelict landlord.
Mpls. police say someone using torch set fire at Mpls. paper company
In seeking info on the case, Minneapolis police have released surveillance video of what turned into a big blaze just west of downtown.
Marilyn Bailey, longtime editor and book reviewer, dies at age 87
After she retired from the Star Tribune, she contributed numerous travel articles.
Ventura makes it official: He's probably not running for president.
The former Minnesota governor said he does not want to quit his job now because he will lose his medical insurance.
Anita Robinson, a librarian and casino tour bus organizer, dies of COVID-19 at 94
Patrons who rode the buses to area casinos adored Anita Robinson, says her son, Gary, who operates a bus company, Best Bet Tours. She…
Twin Cities independent coffee shops losing steam
Coffee shops hope business will perk up, but many are barely surviving
Judge rejects motion to remove Chinese billionaire's corporation from sexual assault lawsuit
It is difficult to determine when a CEO is "off duty," a Hennepin County judge said in a ruling.
$35 million suit filed by Moose Lake man who was shot by police and paralyzed in 2019
Suit claims Carlton County deputy shot man who had no gun and that the deputy had been drinking
U.S. appeals court: Law firm not entitled to fees in 2015 Toyota payout
An appeals court panel agreed that a law firm did clients more harm than good in a Toyota crash trial.
With parade of vehicles replacing a march, protesters call for rent and mortgage relief
Dozens of honking cars with signs circled U.S. Bank Plaza in downtown Minneapolis, calling for a cancellation of rent and mortgage payments.
Dick Copeland, who helped wife Mary Jo in programs for poor, dies
Mary Jo Copeland recalls that her husband, Dick, was a little dubious when she first raised the idea of starting a storefront center to help…
Lawsuit: Sherburne County jail ignored inmate's warning signs before suicide
Documents indicate inmate had contemplated suicide, but jail and doctor insist case was properly handled.
Lawsuit: U.S. citizen from Somalia illegally detained by immigration authorities
Ali Abdalla had been a U.S. citizen since he was a child, the lawsuit claims.
Study: Nearly 20,000 homeless on average in Minnesota
Wilder Research's new data was gathered before the coronavirus outbreak. The majority experienced trauma or violence, the probe found.
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Minneapolis man who served five years 'ecstatic' after attempted murder charges dropped
Prosecutors dismissed attempted murder charges against a man who says Innocence Project of Minnesota "saved my life."
Judge overturns 2015 attempted murder conviction of man sentenced to 26 years
In a 142-page ruling, the judge gave a scathing evaluation of a Minneapolis attorney while also faulting work by a state appellate defender.
