Minnesota Criminal Defense Attorney

Minneapolis, March 10, 2016 (Newswire.com) - Minnesota criminal defense attorney Max Keller is offering praise for a U.S. Supreme Court decision that affects Minnesotans who were convicted of murder as juveniles. Minnesota law had previously been that any juvenile convicted of murder was automatically sentenced to life in prison, without the possibility of parole. Mr. Keller believes that such inflexible sentences, particularly for juvenile offenders, send the wrong message about the criminal justice system. Mr. Keller, who is also a former prosecutor, is of the opinion that mandatory minimum sentencing removes the human component from the justice system, and ties the hands of both judges and prosecutors with a one-size-fits-all approach to justice.

The Supreme Court made the initial decision to strike down mandatory minimum life sentences without the possibility of parole for juveniles who are convicted of killing in 2012. Two years later, Minnesota’s Supreme Court concluded that the ruling wasn’t to be applied retroactively, leaving eight inmates who had been sentenced before the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to serve out their original sentences. In late January, a case in Louisiana caused the Supreme Court to rule that its 2012 decision would be retroactive, affecting the eight Minnesota inmates and about 1,200 more across the country. Any Minnesota criminal defense attorney handling these cases will be treading new ground and setting precedents.

Minnesota criminal defense attorney: http://www.kellerlawoffices.com/

Max Keller

Keller maintains that, even in the absence of mandatory minimum sentences, anyone accused of a felony or misdemeanor in Minnesota should retain a lawyer in order to protect their rights. Without the advice of a Minnesota criminal defense attorney, it’s much more likely that an individual will have a poor outcome in the criminal justice system. The consequences associated with conviction of a crime can be long-lasting; financially, mentally, and emotionally exhausting; and run the gamut from fines to incarceration. Mr. Keller says the 2012 decision and subsequent rulings in the Minnesota Supreme Court and Louisiana case highlight the dire need for proper representation during any criminal proceeding.