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A lot of folks talk about hearsay. This blog covers what hearsay is, and a little of what it isn’t. In elementary school, we occasionally played the “Telephone Game.” We played something like this: One person started by whispering a phrase or sentence in another person’s ear. The second person–ideally–repeated that phrase or sentence to [..] The post Hearsay: the Telephone Game in the Courtroom appeared first on Kuettner Legal, PLLC.

  Your Right to Remain Silent on the Street It’s probably the most well-known scene in all of crime drama: the reading of Miranda. It usually goes something like this: “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to [..] The post You Have the Right to Remain Silent appeared first on Kuettner Legal, PLLC.

When animals start bringing lawsuits, one begins to wonder about the legal system. This one (pictured above) sued in Federal Court in California. Some of us question the legal strategy behind it. Isn’t there a better way? How it Began “A monkey, an animal rights organization, and a primatologist walk into federal court to sue[.] [..] The post Monkey see, Monkey sue? Legal Strategy appeared first on Kuettner Legal, PLLC.

We are often asked what to do when contacted by police. This question turns on the specific situation. This post is the first in a series about common ways people come into contact with law enforcement. People usually meet police through traffic stops. You can look at some statistics here. About half of all traffic [..] The post Cheese it, the Cops! Police Contact appeared first on Kuettner Legal, PLLC.

Last year, the Minnesota Supreme Court decided that air-powered BB Guns are not firearms under Minnesota’s prohibition on felons possessing weapons. You can read the decision here. You can review the current version of the statute here. What does this mean for this group of Minnesota prisoners? Well, a lot, really. Those convicted under the statute [..] The post Locked up for What!? BB Guns and Prison appeared first on Kuettner Legal, PLLC.

Recently, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions advocated for expanding federal civil forfeiture. (Read more about it here.) Civil forfeiture occurs when the government seizes your property. The government owns the property upon seizure. Most often, it sells the seized property and divides proceeds. In Minnesota, law enforcement receives 70% and the prosecution 30%. In Minnesota, [..] The post Give That Back! Civil Forfeiture in Minnesota appeared first on Kuettner Legal, PLLC.