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February 17, 2016

Death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia

With the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, there has been quite a lot of debate regarding President Obama’s intentions to nominate a replacement.  Can he do this in the last year of his Presidency?  The simple answer is found in the very text of the U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 2, which states that the President shall nominate and appoint judges to the Supreme Court, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.  There is nothing in the text of the Constitution that limits a President’s nomination power to the first three years of the Presidency, or any...
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Expungement: Sealing Criminal Records

Criminal expungement is the process of going to court and asking a judge to seal court criminal records. People ask for an expungement when they have been denied a job, housing, or professional license because of their criminal background. Minnesota Statutes § 609A.02 lists specific situations when a court has the authority to seal government-held records. This list includes: Some first time drug possession offenses; Offences committed by juveniles who are prosecuted in adult criminal court; Cases that were resolved in your favor where you were found not guilty or where the case was dismissed; Petty misdemeanors, misdemeanors, and some...
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