Minnesota Supreme Court Opinions

Orders on Petitions for Further Review

Granted/Stayed

1.  State of Minnesota vs. Christopher Lawrence Hunt – A25-0133

Issues: (1) Did the district court violate Hunt’s right to self-representation by refusing to discharge Hunt’s public defender, failing to determine whether Hunt’s efforts to represent himself were unequivocal, and failing to inquire into the voluntariness, knowingness, and intelligence of Hunt’s choice to represent himself?  (2) Hunt told the trial court that his public defender failed to provide discovery, failed to file motions or notice witnesses on his behalf, and failed to communicate with Hunt.  Did these concerns obligate the trial court to conduct any inquiry into the adequacy of Hunt’s representation? and (3) Do Hunt’s pro se arguments merit review?

Stayed Pending Final Disposition in State v. Tillman, A24-0952.

2.  State of Minnesota vs. James Michael Thomson – A24-1901

Issues: (1) Can a defendant’s second-degree fear-based assault convictions be upheld when the state’s circumstantial evidence does not lead unerringly to the conclusion that the defendant intended to cause the complainants to fear immediate bodily harm or death where the defendant did not directly interact with the complainants and the defendant fired a single shot at the ground a few feet from the complainants while the complainants were in a vehicle and then put the gun away after firing that shot?  (2) Because the analysis of the state’s circumstantial evidence may be directly affected by a forthcoming decision from this Court in State v. Firkus, should this Court grant review and stay the proceeding pending this Court’s decision in Firkus?

Stayed Pending Final Disposition in State v. Firkus, A23-0973.

3.  State of Minnesota vs. Wendy Sue Whitcomb – A25-0260

Issues: (1) When does reasonable suspicion dissipate after investigation? Did the court of appeals err by concluding that reasonable suspicion persisted even after an on-site officer’s investigation dispelled suspicion?  (2) Did the court of appeals misapply or create a new application of the collective knowledge doctrine by allowing an off-site officer to disregard an on-site officer’s facts and conclusions?

Stayed Pending Final Disposition in Lorsung v. Comm’r of Pub. Safety, A24-0540. 

Denied 

4.  Alexander James King vs. Rosemary Christine Forschen – A25-0796

5.  Charise L. Logan vs. First Transit – A25-1449

6.  Edward Lee Jones vs. State of Minnesota – A25-0647

7.  In the Marriage of: Colin Mitchell McGuire vs. Bridget Lee McGuire, County of Scott – A25-1842

8.  In the Marriage of: Elizabeth Doree Hanson vs. Todd David Hanson – A25-0417

9.  In the Matter of the Civil Commitment of: Elakie Fale – A25-1004

10. In the Matter of the Civil Commitment of: Terry Lee Branson – A25-1080

11. Larry Kenneth Alexander vs. Tyson’s Towing and Transport LLC, GSIC Southview LLC, et al. – A25-0725

12. Melissa J Barber vs. Anthony Bellino – A25-0864

13. Raymond Leon Semler vs. State of Minnesota – A25-0323

14. Sarah Nicole Englund vs. State of Minnesota – A25-0018

15. State of Minnesota vs. Andrew Joseph Casserly – A24-1928

16. State of Minnesota vs. Bryant Terrell Garth, II – A24-1778

17. State of Minnesota vs. Derrick Rayshon Mays – A25-0742

18. State of Minnesota vs. Paul Stephen Schaefer – A25-0519