Wilson & Clas argue at the Minnesota Supreme Court

Wilson & Clas will be arguing a first-degree murder appeal at the Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday. The issues on appeal are the sufficiency of the evidence supporting their client’s conviction for murder in the first degree, as well as the constitutionality of the automatic imposition of a LWOR (Life Without the Opportunity of Release) sentence following a person’s conviction for first-degree murder. The case is of significant import given the expansive legal implications that a reversal or affirmance would carry in the future.

In Minnesota, direct appeals in first-degree murder cases generally skip the Minnesota Court of Appeals and are heard directly by the Minnesota Supreme Court. Only a narrow subset of criminal matters can say the same, and all other cases are heard by the Minnesota Supreme Court only if the Court chooses to hear them. Parties generally must petition for review of a case by the Minnesota Supreme Court and the case must be of enough legal significance to merit review.