Jurisdiction refers to a courts authority to hear and decide a case. Minnesota state courts have general jurisdiction to hear all cases that are in violation of the Minnesota Constitution, and any state laws as long as the violation happened within the state. Federal courts have limited jurisdiction to hear cases involving violations of the U.S. [...]
Yes it is possible. The dual sovereignty doctrine provides that “when a defendant in a single act violates the 'peace and dignity' of two sovereigns by breaking the laws of each, he has committed two distinct 'offenses' for double jeopardy purposes.” This means that if your conduct violated both state and federal laws you can be [...]
No. Federal courts sentence according to federal sentencing guidelines. Minnesota is somewhat unique in that we have created our own set of sentencing guidelines for our state courts. These guidelines are not mandatory, but they advise judges on a recommended sentence range based upon the specific circumstances of your offense. They take into account the specific [...]
