January 10, 1997 - William Kennedy,a man who created one of the country's most respected public defender's offices in Hennepin county has lost his job after a dramatic campaign that was rife with accusations of wrongdoing on both sides. Kennedy, who's held the post as Hennepin county chief public defender for 25 years was accused of using his office to investigate his opponent--William McGee. The State Board of Public Defense voted late Thursday to appoint McGee to Kennedy's post. Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: The appointment ends a tumultuous campaign for the job that heads the biggest public defender staff carrying the highest caseload in the state. It was a political campaign that saw accusations against mcgee including murder, drug use and sexual relations with a client...and accusations against Kenn
January 8, 1997 - An independent investigator has released his findings into alleged wrongdoing by two candidates vying for the job of hennepin county chief public defender. While the report draws no conclusions, it's intended to provide a factual basis which the state board of public defense can use to determine whether Incumbent William Kennedy and assistant county attorney William McGee are worthy of the public trust to hold the post. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: The Board hired a former federal prosecutor Jon Hopeman to examine several allegations against Kennedy and McGee...including: whether Kennedy used employees from his office to investigate his political rival William McGee. In a letter to the State Board, Kennedy says his chief investigator Russ
December 17, 1996 - The Minnesota Court of Appeals has ruled sexual harassment is illegal regardless of a person's gender or sexual orientation. The ruling stems from a man who sued his male boss for making sexual comments and physical gestures at work.
December 12, 1996 - MPR’s Elizabeth Stawicki reports on Minnesota Supreme Court decision that State can commit convicted sex offender Dennis Linehan to a state hospital. The Court had to decide whether the government can lock up a person based on what the person may commit in the future. The ruling upholds Minnesota's Sexually Dangerous Person's law, a law that incarcerates sexual predators who've served their prison terms but who the court considers too dangerous to set free.
November 1, 1996 - Midday examines the system for selecting judges for Minnesota's courts with interviews about the appointment, election process, and the role and qualifications of judges. Guests Wes Skoglund, chair of the House Judicial Committee; and Suzanna Sherry, law professor at University of Minnesota, explain the debate between merit selections vs. elections.
October 9, 1996 - All Thing’s Considered presents the MPR documentary “Janet's Children,” which profiles a parent fighting to keep custody of her children. It’s a story of parents, drug use, and permanency.
October 9, 1996 - All Thing’s Considered presents the MPR documentary “Janet's Children,” which profiles a parent fighting to keep custody of her children. It’s a story of parents, drug use, and permanency.
May 29, 1996 - An IRS agent testified in the White Earth corruption trial that several tribal officials claimed they were in two locations at once. The agent told the court tribal chairman Chip Wadena and officials Rick Clark and Jerry Rawley filed reports showing they attended gaming commission meetings at their casino office while records show they were also traveling out of town. But a defense attorney maintains the agent misled the jury. Tribal Chair Chip Wadena, Rick Clark and Jerry Rawley face federal charges in connection with alleged corruption on the White Earth reservation.
April 13, 1996 - A federal jury has found State Senator Harold Skip Finn guilty on 12 of 22 felony counts yesterday. Finn and two tribal officials of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe were accused of stealing more than one-million-dollars from the Band's self-insurance fund and conspiring to defraud the Government.
April 2, 1996 - The defense has rested its case in the federal fraud trial of State Senator Skip Finn. Finn and two other tribal officials are charged with embezzling more than one-million-dollars from a self-insurance fund that Finn set-up for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.