Jani-King sells commercial cleaning franchises to individuals (and, from the names of plaintiffs, appear to have had something of a foothold in the Minnesota Hmong community along with other immigrant communities). Proposed class action plaintiffs felt deceived by defendants Jani-King of Minnesota, Jani-King International and others, alleging that (1) many of the accounts offered to […]

An earlier post highlighted a “smackdown” in which the NAF received a stinging denial on a motion to dismiss (here).  Unsurprisingly, the NAF would like to put the brakes on everything while they appeal the denial of their motion to dismiss. Not going to happen.  U.S. District Court Judge Paul Magnuson does not seem to […]

Back in 1992, the City of Los Angeles was engulfed in riot and flames after the video-taped police-beating of Rodney King who, on the third day of the rioting, went on television and implored, “People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?”  53 deaths, 2,383 injuries, more than 7,000 fires, […]

Criminal defendants’ right to a jury is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and in the Minnesota Constitution.  If the criminal defendant has a constitutionally protected right to a jury before his peers, does he also have the constitutional right to waive the jury trial?  Or can the prosecution insist on a jury? Today, the Minnesota […]

Dennis Hecker settles the Bankruptcy Trustee’s suit against him seeking the non-dischargeability of over $700 million in debt in exchange for the Trustee’s giving a dog he bought for his girlfriend back to his girlfriend. “[P]arting with an interest in the dog is a worthwhile exchange for denial of debtor’s discharge.”

Back in late 2008, Derrick Riddle appears to have thought he would be able to score some serious cash by proposing that he would facilitate a bribe of Thomas Petters’ trial judge for Petters’ criminal case. There were more than a few problems with the scheme, not the least of which was that, at the […]

There is a tendency at settlement conferences, mediations, and other informal conclusions to legal disputes to rush out the door and move on to more pressing aspects of business and life, often leaving the “loose ends” or “details” to a later date,  a date that slips, slips again, and sometimes even disappears for good. Applied […]

There are eleven federally recognized Indian tribes in Minnesota.  This is not the forum for a comprehensive discussion of the interplay between Tribal Court law vs. Minnesota state law vs. United States law but, suffice it to say, as is evident from two recent decisions, almost every Minnesota civil litigator, at one time or another, […]

A pre-teen girl allegedly confided in a friend by saying that her brother had touched her in inappropriate ways.  After a delay of 90 days or so, the friend’s mother made a report of possible sexual abuse to the county’s child-protection authorities.  There was subsequent investigation and, ultimately, no finding of any abuse was made. […]

Justice Sotomayor, writing for the Court, joined in full by six Justices and in part by Justices Scalia and Thomas, the U.S. Supreme Court holds that attorneys who provide bankruptcy assistance are debt-relief agencies under the bankruptcy abuse law (opinion is here) and that the BAPCPA (Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act) does not […]