Criminal Justice

The following write-ups are produced and maintained by Minnesota House Research Department, with some links provided to other sources.

General Information

• Crime Victim Laws in Minnesota
  A 39-page publication summarizing the major features of Minnesota laws that protect the rights and interests of crime victims. November 2021.
• Dangerous Dogs in Minnesota
• Distracted Driving: Texting and Sending or Receiving Other Electronic Messages
• Do Criminal Laws Deter Crime? Deterrence Theory in Criminal Justice: A Primer
  A 24-page primer that discusses criminal deterrence, which is one theory legislators can use to assess possible changes in criminal justice policy. January 2019.
• Fireworks for Personal Use: The Laws in Minnesota and Surrounding States
• Identity Theft and Related Crimes
  A 15-page information brief summarizing the state's identity theft law and providing a historical summary of identity theft legislation. October 2007.
• The Internet and Public Policy: Criminal Activity on the Internet
  A 12-page information brief discusses criminalization of Internet activities and provides information on federal and state laws enacted to address Internet-related crimes. May 2018.
• Liability for the Crimes of Another
• Methamphetamine Laws in Minnesota
  A 9-page information brief that explains the laws on methamphetamine, including crimes and penalties for violations of the law, restrictions on the sale of precursor drugs, and regulations regarding the use and cleanup of property used to make the drug. May 2008.
• Traffic Citations
  A 9-page information brief that provides an overview of citations for a traffic violation, focusing on basic penalties, assessment of fines, and allocation of fine proceeds. September 2019.

Abuse: Child, Domestic, and Sexual

• Crime Victim Laws in Minnesota
  A 39-page publication summarizing the major features of Minnesota laws that protect the rights and interests of crime victims. November 2021.
• Domestic Abuse Laws in Minnesota: An Overview
  A 36-page publication summarizing the major features of Minnesota laws dealing with domestic abuse, including an explanation of the Domestic Abuse Act, criminal procedure provisions, and victim safety provisions. August 2024.
• Female Genital Mutilation
• Minnesota's Predatory Offender Community Notification Law
• Overview of Criminal Sexual Conduct Crimes
• Predatory Offender Registration
• Reporting Maltreatment of Minors
  A 17-page overview of reporting maltreatment of minors as established in the Maltreatment of Minors Act. The act establishes a system for reporting possible child abuse and neglect, and its related laws and rules. July 2022.
• Sex Offenders and Predatory Offenders: MN Criminal and Civil Regulatory Laws
  A 33-page information brief describing the state's laws applying to sex offenders and predatory offenders including information on crime definitions, criminal penalties, mandatory sentencing, and civil regulations like the community notification law. January 2012.

DWI (Driving While Impaired)

• An Overview of Minnesota's DWI Laws
  A 20-page reference tool highlighting the major portions of DWI law. January 2022.

Firearms

• Tasers in Minnesota: How Energy-Conduced Weapons Are Regulated
  A 6-page information brief that explains how Tasers work and how they are regulated under state and federal law. November 2009.

Judicial Procedures and Laws

• Bail and Pretrial Release in Minnesota
• Criminal Statutes of Limitations
  A 9-page publication overviewing criminal statutes of limitations in general and describing Minnesota's criminal statutes of limitations. August 2024.
• Expungement of Criminal Records
  An 11-page information brief describing the state's laws and appellate court decisions governing the sealing, destruction, or removal of criminal records maintained by government agencies on individuals. January 2016.
• Judicial Branch Overview
  A short description of the court system in Minnesota. October 2014.
• The Minnesota Judiciary: A Guide for Legislators
  A 31-page guidebook describing the structure, functions, personnel, and finances of the judicial branch of state government. September 2019.
• Minnesota's Forfeiture Laws
  A 23-page information brief overviewing the state's general forfeiture laws for most felony offenses and special forfeiture laws for specific crimes. July 2022.
• Prohibition Against Ex Post Facto Laws
• State Jury Service
  A brief description of how the jury system works. July 2019.
• The Tribal Law and Order Act and Minnesota

Juvenile Justice

• Youth and the Law
  A 140-page guidebook explaining state law and court cases that establish rights, responsibilities, and protections for youth, including information on economic protection, education, health and social services, and criminal justice. February 2024.

Archived Materials

The following materials have been archived and may contain some information that is not up-to-date. "Archived" materials are no longer actively maintained by House Research Department and are generally at least five years old. Current materials are provided in the previous topics.

• The 0.08 Alcohol Concentration Limit
  A 29-page policy brief describing a proposal to lower the legal limit for a driver's alcohol concentration from 0.10 percent to 0.08 percent. March 1994.
• The 1985 and 1990 DWI Surveys: Analysis of the Questionnaire Responses (Request a copy)
• 1990 Judiciary Committee Legislation (Request a copy)
• 1991 Judiciary Committee Legislation (Request a copy)
• 2003 Criminal Justice Legislation
• 2004 Criminal Justice Legislation
• Access to Government Data Maintained on Juvenile Offenders
  A 4-page information brief that answers questions on information maintained on juvenile offenders by government agencies. September 2004.
• AIDS and the Criminal Justice System: An Assessment of Legal and Policy Issues (Request a copy)
• Alternative Dispute Resolution Programs For Juveniles (Request a copy)
• Analysis of the Effect of Recent Changes in Minnesota's DWI Law: Part II Perceptions of Members in the DWI Control System (Request a copy)
• Analysis of the Effect of Recent Changes in Minnesota's DWI Laws Part I: The Perceptions of Minnesota's Drivers (Request a copy)
• Analysis of the Effect of Recent Changes in Minnesota's DWI Laws: Summary of Three DWI Research Reports (Request a copy)
• Analysis of the Effects of Recent Changes in Minnesota's DWI Laws (Request a copy)
• Community Courts and Quality-of-life Crime: The Midtown Manhattan Community Court as a Model
  A 38-page information brief summarizing quality-of-life crimes in Minneapolis and describing how Manhattan has set up a community court to deal with quality-of-life crimes. September 1999.
• Comparison of Impaired Driving Laws for Recreational Vehicles and Motor Vehicles (Request a copy)
• Contested Statutes (Request a copy)
• Controlling Repeat DWI Offenders with Staggered Sentencing
  A 14-page policy brief describing and partially evaluating a new sentencing strategy for repeat DWI offenders called staggered sentencing. January 2003.
• Cost of Crime: A Review of the Research Studies
• Criminal Background Check Statutes: An Overview
  A 65-page report describing the laws that require or authorize government agencies, employers, and other entities to check the criminal records of and other background information on licensees, employees, or volunteers. February 2014.
• Driver's License Record Keeping for DWI Violations
• DWI and the B-Card: A Type of Restricted Driver's License for Repeat Offenders
• DWI-Related Legislation: 1995 Session Summary (Request a copy)
• The Effects of "Shall-Issue" Concealed-Carry Licensing Laws: A Literature Review
  A 12-page information brief reviewing major research studies on the effects of enacting "shall-issue" laws governing the licensing of people to carry concealed firearms. February 1999.
• Electronic Alcohol Monitoring as a Condition of Pretrial Release and Probate (Request a copy)
• Equal Protection: Standards Used in Judicial Review of State Legislation (Request a copy)
• Firearm Possession Restrictions Under Minnesota Law
• Firearms Laws in Minnesota: A Guide for Legislators
  A 113-page report describing the laws regulating the possession and use of firearms in Minnesota. November 2012.
• The Fourth Amendment: Search and Seizure Law
• Gomez: The Minnesota Supreme Court Abortion Funding Decision (Request a copy)
• The History of 0.08 Percent Alcohol Concentration in Minnesota
  A 4-page information brief providing a short history of attempts to lower the alcohol concentration limit for drunk driving violations in Minnesota and reviews federal sanctions for not doing so. November 2003.
• History, Issues, and Analysis of Pretrial Release and Detention: A Policy Analysis (Request a copy)
• Identity Theft and Related Crimes
  A 15-page information brief summarizing the state's identity theft law and providing a historical summary of identity theft legislation. October 2007.
• Ignition Interlock for DWI Offenders
• Innovative Approaches in Child Abuse Services (Request a copy)
• Jail Time for DWI Offenders in Minnesota: A Brief Survey of Practices
  A 6-page information brief reporting results of a survey on the jail sentences served by DWI offenders. January 2000.
• Juvenile Court Cases In Minnsota: An Overview (Request a copy)
• Juvenile Court Cases: Terminations of Parental Rights (Request a copy)
• Mandatory Sentencing Laws
  A 19-page information brief describing the state's laws mandating judges to impose specified sentences on those convicted of certain crimes and including information on lengths of incarceration, minimum fines, and mandatory treatment. October 2011.
• Minnesota Anti-Terrorism Act of 2002
• Minnesota Firearms Law for Minors
• Minnesota Juvenile Residential Facilities: A Description (Request a copy)
• Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines: A Historical Overview and an Analysis of the Appellate Case Law (Request a copy)
• Minnesota's Criminal DNA Collection and Preservation Laws
  A brief description of how DNA is collected and in what situations. June 2006.
• Minnesota's DWI Law: Recent Constitutional Law Developments (Request a copy)
• Minnesota's DWI Laws and Practices
  A 91-page report overviewing the state's DWI laws including definitions of the laws, descriptions of penalties, and explanations of associated practices. January 2001.
• Minnesota's Prostitution Laws (Request a copy)
• Minnesota's Public Defender System
• Minnesota's Racial Profiling Legislation
• Offenders in Juvenile Court: A Research Report (Request a copy)
• Pistol Permits: Posting at Private Establishments
• Plea Negotiation Practices (Request a copy)
• Prenatal Exposure to Controlled Substances (Request a copy)
• Pretrial and Postconviction Conditional Release: 1998 Legislation
• Proposed Minnesota Juvenile Code (Request a copy)
• Provision of Services in the Child Protection System: A Research Report (Request a copy)
• Racial Profiling Studies in Law Enforcement: Issues and Methodology
  A 37-page information brief describing the concepts, issues, and methodological challenges involved in studying racial profiling. June 2000.
• Reference of Juveniles to Adult Court (Request a copy)
• Right to Arms: Litigation Under State Constitutional Provisions (Request a copy)
• Schools and Firearms
• A Summary of 2002 Criminal Justice Legislation
• Treatment of Records Under the Child Abuse Reporting Act (Request a copy)
• Vehicle License Plate Impoundment and Specially Coded Plates (Request a copy)
• Webster: The Supreme Court Abortion Decision (Request a copy)