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.
March 12, 1996 - State Senator Skip Finn's attorney told jurors today Finn never stole money from a tribal insurance fund and...he never conspired to defraud the Leech Lake Band of the Ojibwe or the federal government. Attorney Doug Kelley says Finn was entitled to even more money than he was paid. Finn and two other tribal officials are on trial in federal court on charges they embezzled over one million dollars from a self-insurance fund Finn controlled as tribal attorney.