At MPR, Brian Bakst says, “A judge on Monday put on hold a tougher standard on the use of deadly force by police officers until a lawsuit is resolved over the way a new law is constructed. Ramsey County District Court Judge Leonardo Castro suspended the law passed in 2020 that requires officers to provide specific reasons to justify using lethal force. Several law enforcement groups sued, saying that standard would infringe on constitutional protections against self-incrimination. The law went into effect in March, but there was little time between passage and enactment to train officers on the change. Lawyers for the state sought unsuccessfully to have the case thrown out. In granting the injunction, Castro said he will decide the constitutional question later.”
The AP reports: “Four former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating George Floyd‘s civil rights are scheduled to be arraigned in federal court Tuesday at a hearing that could also address some pretrial motions. A federal grand jury indicted Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao in May for allegedly depriving Floyd of his rights while acting under government authority on May 25, 2020, as Floyd, 46, was held face-down, handcuffed and not resisting in a restraint that was captured on bystander video. His death led to worldwide protests and calls for change in policing.”
WCCO-TV reports: “DFLers in the Minnesota Senate elected a new minority leader Monday after Sen. Susan Kent announced earlier this month she was stepping down. State Sen. Melisa López Franzen, who represents Edina, will serve as the next caucus leader. … López Franzen, who was born and raised in Puerto Rico, was first elected in 2012. The DFL said she is the first member of the People of Color and Indigenous caucus to be elected Senate minority leader.”
KSTP-TV reports: “Authorities are investigating a four-victim homicide in western Wisconsin. The Dunn County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Monday night that four people were found dead in an abandoned black SUV that was driven into a standing cornfield in the town of Sheridan. …According to the sheriff’s office, the victims don’t appear to have any connection to the area. The sheriff’s office said a second dark-colored SUV may have been traveling with the black SUV and may be related to the incident.”
FOX 9 says: “An Illinois militia group leader has been sentenced to 53 years in prison for being the mastermind behind the 2017 bombing of a Bloomington mosque. A federal court judge handed down the sentence Monday, describing the bombing as as ‘an act of domestic terrorism… highly sophisticated, a premeditated attack.’ Illinois militia group leader Emily Hari, who was previously known as Michael Hari and recently said she is transgender, was found guilty last year on all five federal counts in the attack on the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center.”
In the Star Tribune, Susan Du and Faiza Mahamud write: “Court mediator AJ Awed has raised the most money this year out of all 16 challengers to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, but that is not enough to qualify him for this week’s debate hosted by the Minnesota DFL Lawyers Committee. The virtual debate, scheduled for Wednesday, will only feature Frey, Sheila Nezhad and Kate Knuth. … Joe Nunez, a member of the Minnesota DFL Lawyers Committee, said the group wanted to focus on those who received the most support from DFL delegates given the large field of mayoral contenders and limited time.”
This from Star Tribune’s Jim Buchta, “Free rent and other lease sweeteners are becoming increasingly difficult to find as demand for apartments in the Twin Cities begins a return to pre-pandemic levels. Midway through the year, rents are on the rise in the metro area as the average vacancy rate tightened during the second quarter to 4.1%, according to a recent report from Marquette Advisors. When factoring in new buildings still in the initial lease-up phase, the vacancy rate was about 5%, but still down slightly from the previous three months.”
In the New York Post, Dan Martin writes, “Losers of eight of nine and with their season on life support, the Yankees quickly found themselves down by five runs to the hapless Twins on Monday afternoon. … It gave the Yankees their first win of the season in a game they’d trailed by four or more runs, as they improved to 1-35. Not surprisingly, it came against Minnesota, as the Yankees improved to 21-2 versus the Twins in The Bronx since 2015.”
So it’s not Minnesota Bar Association barring A.J. Awed from the mayoral candidates debate, it’s the Minnesota D F L Lawyers who’ve done it. Surprise, surprise.