Tensions in Minneapolis escalated again Wednesday night as a federal agent shot and wounded a man during an arrest, an incident the Department of Homeland Security said followed a “violent assault” on an officer. The man was hit in the leg; unrest and confrontations with federal officers continued into the night. As word of the shooting spread, at least 200 protestors gathered near the scene. The shooting comes amid a larger federal immigration surge in the Twin Cities following the ICE‑involved fatal shooting of Renee Good, which has galvanized local protests and sharpened debate over use‑of‑force policies. The Trump administration has defended the deployment as necessary to cracking down on illegal immigration and rooting out fraud. Read on for more criminal law news.
Six prosecutors resign. In the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Renee Good, six federal prosecutors in Minnesota resigned this week. The New York Times reports that the resignations follow the Justice Department’s push to investigate Renee Good’s widow, and the reluctance of the department to investigate the shooter. Among the resignations was Joseph H. Thompson, second in command at the U.S. Attorney’s office and the lead prosecutor on a sprawling fraud investigation that has attracted national attention. Brian O’Hara, the Minneapolis police chief, said in an interview that Thompson’s resignation dealt a serious blow to the efforts to combat fraud, and noted that the fraud investigations were one of the cited reasons the Trump administration provided for its immigration crackdown in the state.
Standard lowered for warrantless home entries. In a unanimous opinion by Justice Elena Kagan, the United States Supreme Court held in Case v. Montana that officers lawfully entered a Montana home during a welfare check after a 911 report that the occupant was suicidal. In its opinion, the Court held that for warrantless entries in an emergency, the “objectively reasonable basis” standard applies and does not require probable cause. The Court also stated that such entries are limited to what is necessary to render aid and ensure safety. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Neil Gorsuch joined but wrote separately, with Justice Sotomayor cautioning that it may not always be “objectively reasonable” for police responding to any mental health crisis to make a warrantless entry. She also warned of the possibility that the presence of law enforcement may escalate such situations, “putting both the occupant and the officers in danger.”
State ankle monitor program seeks funding to remain active. Leaders of North Carolina’s Criminal Justice Information Network (CJIN) gave testimony Thursday to state lawmakers asking for enough funding to keep the program operational. CJIN is a quasi-governmental group that uses GPS ankle monitors to enforce no‑contact and location monitoring orders in criminal cases such as those involving domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. The program needs about $11.5 million in annual recurring funds to maintain and expand the program in the state and provide both protections for concerned victims and freedom for defendants who might otherwise be held in custody. CJIN warned last year it might suspend service amid budget confusion; emergency funds kept it running short‑term. CJIN currently reports 1,200+ monitors deployed across 63 counties, with DV cases making up more than half of usage. Long‑term stability of the program remains unresolved.
When DoorDash declines… A Durham County detention sergeant pleaded guilty to bribery of an official after admitting she took a $500 bribe to smuggle contraband to a detained murder suspect. Reportedly, the detention sergeant gave an immediate confession, and their case is part of a broader probe at the Durham County Detention Center that has resulted in charges against two other workers connected to the same inmate. The contraband in this case: Chick‑fil‑A sandwiches and cell‑phone batteries. The sergeant was sentenced to 12 months of supervised probation with a 10-21 month suspended prison term. Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead said in a statement, “Introducing contraband, particularly electronic communication devices, into a secure facility puts everyone at risk — from our dedicated staff members to the individuals housed within our care.” The statement did not include mention of the chicken sandwiches.
Utah introduces restrictions on alcohol purchasing. A new Utah law effective January 1, 2026 requires ID checks for all alcohol purchases, regardless of a person’s age. This is the result of a new “interdicted” status that bars sales to those convicted of certain aggravated DWIs (such as having a BAC of .16 or greater, or impairment caused by a BAC of .05 or greater plus another impairing substance). Affected individuals will now receive state IDs marked “No Alcohol Sale” prohibiting them from purchasing alcohol for a time period set by the court. The law also includes provisions that allow for individuals to voluntarily have their IDs marked this way and be prohibited from purchasing alcohol. The changes tighten point‑of‑sale controls statewide and pair with stepped‑up DWI enforcement.
No kiss needed. Staying in Utah, a Heber City police officer corrected a police report after noticing a fairly significant error. The department has been testing two pieces of AI software to generate reports from body-worn camera recordings, Draft One and Code Four. After having Draft One prepare a report, the officer noticed that it claimed a police officer shape-shifted into a frog during the law enforcement interaction. After reviewing the recording himself, the officer saw that the movie “The Princess and the Frog” was playing in the background and likely led to the reported human-amphibian transformation. According to the report, the officer said, “That’s when we learned the importance of correcting these AI-generated reports.” Police department officials reported that they are continuing to test the two programs, and plan to select one and continue using the AI technology. For those interested, in another AI-related story a city official is under fire in Bellingham, WA for using ChatGPT in an attempt to subversively exclude a vendor during a public bid for a large city contract.
