Justia Minnesota Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

Respondent was adjudicated delinquent of felony burglary and misdemeanor theft. Thereafter, Respondent obtained a district court order expunging his juvenile delinquency records held by the judicial branch and sought to expunge his juvenile delinquency records held by the executive branch. The district court denied the request, but the court of appeals reversed. The Supreme Court affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded, holding (1) under Minn. Stat. 260B.198(6), the authority of the district court to expunge juvenile delinquency records in executive branch files is limited to the order adjudicating the juvenile delinquent; (2) to determine whether expungement is advisable within the meaning of section 260B.198(6), the district court must weight the benefit to the petitioner against the detriment to the public and the burden on the court; and (3) the district court should decide if Respondent's petition merits expungement by applying the balancing test the Court articulated here to the specific facts and circumstances of the case. View "In re J.J.P." on Justia Law

The State filed a delinquency petition against Appellant, alleging that Appellant committed second-degree intentional murder. The juvenile court certified the proceeding to adult court. Appellant was charged in district court with second-degree intentional murder. The complaint was amended to include second-degree felony murder. The jury found Appellant guilty of second-degree felony murder and second-degree manslaughter. Appellant appealed, arguing that the district court lacked subject-matter jurisdiction over the amended charge of second-degree felony murder and the lesser-included offense of second-degree manslaughter. The court of appeals affirmed, holding (1) the district court had jurisdiction over the charge specified in the certification order and other charges arising out of the same behavioral incident; and (2) the certification process did not violate Appellant's right to procedural due process. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) a "proceeding" permitted by statute includes non-enumerated offenses arising out of the same behavioral incident as the offense enumerated in the certification order; and (2) following a valid certification order, a child no longer has a liberty interest in a juvenile adjudication for offenses arising out of the behavioral incident certified to adult court, and therefore the district court is not required to conduct another hearing on the certification issue. View "State v. Grigsby" on Justia Law

Appellant, a juvenile, was petitioned for a felony and then adjudicated delinquent of a misdemeanor arising out of the same set of circumstances. The court ordered that Appellant provide a biological speciman to determine her DNA profile for the limited purpose of criminal identification after concluding that Minn. Stat. 609.117, subd. 1(2), which requires a juvenile adjudicated delinquent of a misdemeanor to submit a DNA sample, did not violate constitutional prohibitions against unreasonable searches and seizures and was not a denial of equal protection. The Supreme Court affirmed after applying a totality-of-the-circumstances test, holding (1) the State's legitimate governmental interests in collecting Appellant's DNA outweighed Appellant's reduced expectation of privacy following her misdemeanor adjudication arising out of the same set of circumstances as her felony petition; (2) consequently, as applied to Appellant, section 609.177, sub. 1(2) did not violate the prohibitions against unreasonable searches and seizures in the state and federal constitutions; and (3) Appellant's equal protection claim failed because Appellant was not similarly situated to misdemeanants without a felony petition, who were not required to provide a DNA sample under the statute. View "In re M.L.M." on Justia Law