Latest news in criminal defense
Mandatory minimum sentences are sentences that a judge is required to impose for people convicted of certain offenses. They haven’t always been around – as late as 1968, Minnesota law stated that there were no mandatory minimum sentences. That changed the following year when Minnesota enacted a mandatory sentence for
Probation hasn’t always been as common as it is today. Traditionally, the criminal justice system was mostly punitive, meaning that the focus was on punishing offenders. One of the earliest known criminal laws includes the concept of “an eye for an eye” – nearly 4000 years ago! These early criminal
Minnesota’s criminal law is pretty hard on drug crimes. As of July 2023, over 1,300 people in Minnesota’s prisons were there because of drug offenses. That’s nearly 1 in every 5! Although sentencing reform has become a hot topic in recent years, sentences for drug crimes can remain very harsh.
Criminal sentencing in Minnesota works very differently for felony charges versus misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor cases. Generally speaking, judges have very wide latitude to do whatever they think is appropriate when sentencing misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor cases. Some offenses have mandatory minimums or other requirements, but generally the judge has
Of course everyone charged with a crime is seeking the best possible outcome – a full dismissal of all charges. As a practical matter, dismissals are a pretty rare outcome. But that doesn’t mean that a good outcome is unattainable. There are a range of possibilities between the best and
I never expected to be called to work in criminal defense. For many years I found work as a prosecutor fulfilling. But over time that changed. Rather than making a difference, I was a cog in the machine. Cases stopped feeling like people and became names on paper. And I realized that often the true difference makers in the system are the defense attorneys.
I founded Archambault Criminal Defense because I want to use my skills to help people. Because I want my cases to be about people and not just names on paper. Because I know I have unique expertise and experience that can truly help people move forward and get on with their lives.
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