Grand Forks Criminal Law Blog

When North Dakota police officers suspect that a diver is intoxicated and initiate a traffic stop, they usually request a series of tests. In addition to the well-known Breathalyzer, drivers may be asked to perform a series of field sobriety tests or to have their blood or urine tested for the presence of alcohol. In the past, refusing these tests could result in a drunk driving related charge, but a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling changed everything.

Back in 2013, North Dakota implemented a new law that made it illegal for drivers to refuse a breath, blood or urine test if they were arrested for a DUI. Anyone refusing to submit to this testing was hit with additional charges for refusal. As DUI charges are already quite serious, piling on more allegations can be devastating for defendants.

Criminal charges of any kind can have a profound impact on a person's future. From employability to key educational opportunities, the effect can be far reaching. Whether facing lesser allegations or more serious charges -- such as those that involve accustions of sex crimes -- minimizing this affect is essential for most people in North Dakota.

A 50-year-old male pharmacist is facing multiple felony charges for supposedly inappropriate behavior involving a minor. According to police, the incidents apparently started as far back as 2016, when a teenage girl reported that her phone was hacked. She claimed that someone else had somehow learned her login and password information for her phone, and was using that access to leave and then delete messages. One of those messages purportedly included an image of a nude female with a minor's face photoshopped over the original.

A U.S. District Court judge sitting in North Dakota recently handed down a ruling regarding a woman's request to suppress evidence in a case involving criminal charges against her. She is accused of white collar crimes, more specifically, of operating a fraudulent lottery scheme while working as a customer service rep for Delta Air Lines. The judge denied her request.

The woman says her rights were violated three years ago when she was interrogated by officials in the United States and Jamaica regarding the allegations against her. She said she was questioned without benefit of legal representation in both countries. She also told the court that her rights that protect her against self-incrimination were also violated.

White-collar crime took on a little different look when a con man came up with a scheme to help workers in the Bakken oil industry.

He conceived an idea for an indoor RV park and attracted a variety of investors by targeting their specific interests. His scheme was working—until they began to compare notes.