Nov
25

Family Court Jurisdiction over Non-Residents of Minnesota

Wilson Law Group regularly represents clients seeking a divorce from a spouse living outside of Minnesota.  We encounter a common situation where the parties have been separated for years, often by borders or oceans, but have not actually divorced.  Eventually, the spouse recognizes the time has come to dissolve the marriage, for various personal reasons.  The passage of time does not simply render the parties divorced (an unfortunate myth that continues to persist), and any subsequent marriages are invalid if the prior marriage is not dissolved. 

When the spouse is living outside of...

Nov
25

When a BB Gun Is Not a Gun

In a case published on October 19, 2016, the Minnesota Supreme Court decided an issue long debated in Minnesota Courts: Is a BB gun a firearm under Minnesota Criminal Law. The issue was presented when the State charged Mr. Haywood with violating Minn. Stat. § 609.165, subd.1b, which criminalizes the possession of a firearm by an ineligible person. The Court’s analysis is also relevant to any case in which an individual is charged with possession or use of a firearm when the term “firearm” is not specifically defined by statute.

In the case, State v. Haywood, No. A14-1792, 2016 WL...