MN court: Voter fraud group must be allowed voter data

MPR News: "The Minnesota Court of Appeals has affirmed a lower court order for Secretary of State Steve Simon to turn over information on voters he has refused to give to a group that insists it may show evidence of voter fraud."

Mont.: Appeals court to rehear case over dinosaur fossil ownership

Bozeman Daily Chronicle: "A full panel of a federal appeals court will hear arguments in a case to determine whether dinosaur fossils are part of a property’s surface estate or mineral estate in the case of split ownership."

A court room like no other hears MN Supreme Court Case

FOX 47 News: "Lawyers were arguing before the Minnesota Supreme Court at Humboldt High School Tuesday. The school’s auditorium turned court room is a part of the high court’s travelling oral arguments."

Minn. Court of Appeals: Increase sentence for driver in fatal crash

Faribault.com: "The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday reversed a Rice County District Court judge’s decision not to send a St. Paul man to prison for a fatal August 2016 crash on I-35 and ordered he be resentenced."

Mont: At MSU, Sessions discusses time as U.S. attorney general

Bozeman Daily Chronicle: "Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions emphasized the Department of Justice’s accomplishments under his and President Donald Trump’s leadership in a speech at Montana State University on Monday."

South Dakota justices rule against woman suing over traffic crash

KELO News: "A woman failed to meet the time limit set in state law for changing the target of her personal-injury lawsuit that resulted from a 2013 traffic crash, the South Dakota Supreme Court said in a decision publicly released Thursday."

MN Supreme Court rules in DL case

DL-Online: "An employee experiences back problems and is no longer able to do the job they were hired to do in a safe manner. Does an employer always have to find ways to accommodate them? Turns out, not necessarily."

Mont.: Supreme Court hearing on stage at UM as man's court appearance in dispute

KPVI News: "The question of whether a man's failure to appear for a routine court appearance was enough to override his constitutional right to a jury trial took center stage Friday at the University of Montana."

Minn.: High school students learn about law in court

New Ulm Journal: "New Ulm High School students sat in and observed two Minnesota Court of Appeals oral argument cases at Brown County Courthouse Thursday to gain knowledge of judicial proceedings and how the courts operate."

New justice appointed to South Dakota Supreme Court

KELO News: "South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has appointed a new Supreme Court Justice. The appointment of Patricia Jean DeVaney fills the open vacancy in the 3rd Supreme Court District from the death of Justice Steven Zinter."

S.D.: Incoming law school dean excited for position, engaging with students

USD Volante: "Neil Fulton, a Miller, S.D. native, was named as the USD School of Law Dean last month. Fulton will start his position in June. Fulton is a federal public defender, South Dakota Bar Examiner and former Chief of Staff to then Gov. Michael Rounds."

South Dakota's 2018 crime statistics released

KSFY News: "The State of South Dakota has released its annual crime report. The report shows a 28 percent decrease in sex offenses and a 32 percent decrease in thefts compared to 2017. The state has still seen an overall increase of 49 percent in drug offenses over the past six years."

Could parole board make a comeback in Minnesota?

Minneapolis Star Tribune: "After decades behind bars, Minnesota inmates serving life sentences must pin their hopes for freedom on just one man. Paul Schnell, the newly appointed Department of Corrections commissioner who determines which offenders are granted supervised release, isn’t sure that’s fair — or wise."

South Dakota Supreme Court says man convicted of murder doesn't need new jury trial

Sioux Falls Argus Leader: "A Sioux Falls man appealing multiple aspects of his 2016 jury trial that landed him a second-degree murder conviction and life in prison won't be getting a new trial, the South Dakota Supreme Court said this week."

Justice pokes MN Supreme Court for 'Sesame Street' approach

MPR News: "There’s a good reason why Minnesota lawmakers spend hours during floor debate arguing about the wording of laws they intend to pass. Words matter. Take the state’s law on first-degree burglary, for example."

USD law school's new dean talks traditions, future

KELO News: "It's the only law school in South Dakota, and now it has a new leader. The University of South Dakota Law School has named Neil Fulton as the new dean. Fulton is a Yale graduate and studied law at the University of Minnesota. He says his long history in South Dakota positions him to help build future leaders in the state. "

MN Supreme Court: Mom shouldn’t have lost car when daughter used it to drive drunk

MPR News: "Megan Olson already had three DWI convictions to her name when she was arrested by Shakopee police in August 2015. Under Minnesota law, her 'first-degree DWI' meant the authorities could seize the car she was driving -- a 1999 Lexus."

Convicted murderer to get new trial in South Dakota

Mitchell Daily Republic: "In an opinion released Friday, March 15, the South Dakota Supreme Court unanimously agreed with Watertown defense attorney Scott Bratland’s contention that the trial court abused its discretion in failing to properly instruct a Grant County jury on what charge Bratland’s client, Michael Swan, should have faced."

Montana Supreme Court orders new trial for Helena man found guilty after using truck, boat to stop high-speed chase

KTVH News: "The Montana Supreme Court has ordered a new trial in the case of a Helena man who was found guilty of misdemeanor charges after he used his truck and boat to stop a high-speed chase."

A friendlier path to divorce? Minnesota lawmakers are considering it

Duluth News Tribune: "Minnesota couples considering divorce would be able to bypass the courts under a proposal advancing through the state Legislature. The proposal would give married couples the option to set the terms of their divorce and file for marital dissolution through a cooperative divorce program."

U.S.: Court lifts ban on Minnesota boys joining school dance teams

Reuters: "A federal appeals court on Wednesday blocked the Minnesota State High School League from enforcing a rule barring boys from joining their high schools’ competitive dance teams. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the rule probably violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment."

South Dakota Supreme Court rules against rapist imprisoned In Iowa

KELO News: "he South Dakota Supreme Court has upheld the 40-year sentence in the state penitentiary for a rapist who was already doing 30 years in Iowa. Shaylan Yeager had challenged the longer South Dakota sentence, claiming it was excessive and the judge abused his discretion."

S.D.: Presumptive probation remains controversial six years after passage

Mitchell Daily Republic: "Presumptive probation was one of many changes made to the state's criminal justice system as part of Senate Bill 70, also known as the Public Safety Improvement Act, which was passed in 2013."