Category Archives: Law Enforcement

My Reaction To “Castle Doctrine Plus” Legislation

Posted on May 14, 2011 by Eric Austin

I’ll be honest, I haven’t read the bill expanding the castle doctrine and I haven’t been paying a lot of attention to the arguments on either side. However, a conversation on the topic with my wife got me thinking about the issue and it is perhaps different from the usual opposition to the issue. This is how MPR described the measure: The proposal is based on the Castle Doctrine, a legal doctrine which allows a person to use deadly force against an intruder in his or her home in self-defense. Many states, including Minnesota, have such laws. But supporters of the bill say the Castle Doctrine doesn’t go far enough. The bill would allow a person to shoot a trespasser who is outdoors on a … Continue reading →

Posted in Law Enforcement, Minnesota House of Representatives, Minnesota Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Legislative Update: Dan Severson

Posted on January 26, 2009 by Eric Austin

While I applaud the effort to keep children safe from predator’s that lurk on the internet, it seems like an unworkable proposition to make it illegal for them to access social networking sites. Such is the case with House File 130 being co-authored by Representative Severson (R). How does one effectively police this type of situation? The only way someone is found to be an online sexual predator is typically after the damage has been done. If your goal is keeping children safe, we need to find ways to stop the initial predatory act. After this point, how many resources will it take to police their internet usage and online memberships? How much liability is there on the part of these sites to keep predator’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Issues, Law Enforcement, Legislation, Minnesota House of Representatives, Minnesota Politics, Politics | Tagged | Leave a comment