Jul
28

Innocent Until Proven Guilty?

In the criminal justice system, everyone is innocent until proven guilty, right? That does not always appear to be the case. A recent DWI case involving an attorney who will likely be seeking election to our State's Supreme Court highlights this issue. Law enforcement stopped Michelle MacDonald for speeding in April 2013. The officer who stopped her initiated a DWI stop and asked her to perform field sobriety tests which she refused because she said she had not been drinking that night. MacDonald's refusal continued at the police station, where she refused to take a chemical test to...

Jul
28

Change in Minnesota’s Custody Law Effective August 1, 2014

Did you know that the Minnesota Legislature has clarified that there is no presumption regarding custody except in cases of domestic abuse? This is an important change in the law that will go into effect on August 1, 2014.  Minn. Stat. Sec. 518.17, subd. 2 has been amended to state, “There is no presumption for or against joint physical custody, except when domestic abuse, as defined in section 518B.01, has occurred between the parents.” 

So what does a judge consider when a child’s parents cannot agree on custody? Some fathers may discouragingly assume that a judge will always...

Jul
16

A Few Basic Employee Rights: Why You May Have Earned that Vacation, but Still Have No Right to One

Questions abound regarding the basic rights that people have as employees. This makes sense given how large of a role jobs play in most of our lives and the complexity and diverse of issues that affect employment. To further complicate matters, though the federal standards are the most commonly cited standards, they do not always apply. Sometimes employers are only responsible for meeting state, or even local, standards. To help clarify the matter for Minnesota employees, this post will address a few of the most common issues regarding basic employee rights.[1] First, though, it is useful...

Jul
14

Notario Fraud: Don’t Be a Victim!

Immigration law is extremely complex. It is important to have qualified representation because even a small mistake can have devastating consequences for you and your family.

Immigrant communities are particularly vulnerable to notario fraud. Notario fraud refers to people who offer legal advice, prepare immigration forms, or otherwise represent people before the immigration agencies when they are not qualified to do so. Generally, to practice immigration law, you must be a licensed attorney. A non-attorney who is specially authorized to represent immigrants by the Board of Immigration...

Jul
1

Breaking News Regarding USCIS Move

In addition to it not raining as much as was forecast for today, WLG has more good news! The USCIS office will not be moving to the outskirts of Bloomington near Eden Prairie!  Read all about it here.