By | | Pioneer PressA Minnesota attorney who filed legal challenges to the November election of five congressional Democrats was given a $10,000 sanction Friday after a judge found she “bamboozled” voters into signing on as plaintiffs without their knowledge or permission.“Susan Shogren Smith … perpetrated a fraud against this court and, more importantly, perpetrated a fraud against these plaintiffs,” Ramsey County Chief District Judge Leonardo Castro said from the bench.Shogren Smith is a member of the MN Election Integrity Team, a conservative group that sought to prevent the state from...…By | | Pioneer PressA Minnesota attorney who filed legal challenges to the November election of five congressional Democrats was given a $10,000 sanction Friday after a judge found she “bamboozled” voters into signing on as plaintiffs without their knowledge or permission.“Susan Shogren Smith … perpetrated a fraud against this court and, more importantly, perpetrated a fraud against these plaintiffs,” Ramsey County Chief District Judge Leonardo Castro said from the bench.Shogren Smith is a member of the MN Election Integrity Team, a conservative group that sought to prevent the state from...WW…

By | | Pioneer PressA freelance journalist who was injured in May while reporting on the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis has scored an early win in her lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis and police union leader Bob Kroll.The lawsuit filed in June by Linda Tirado, who was blinded by a rubber bullet, claimed police were targeting reporters with violence and that city officials knew about it but failed to stop them.Kroll, who has since retired, is accused of conspiring with officers to encourage the abuse.U.S. District Chief Judge John Tunheim on Monday found Tirado has made a...…By | | Pioneer PressA freelance journalist who was injured in May while reporting on the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis has scored an early win in her lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis and police union leader Bob Kroll.The lawsuit filed in June by Linda Tirado, who was blinded by a rubber bullet, claimed police were targeting reporters with violence and that city officials knew about it but failed to stop them.Kroll, who has since retired, is accused of conspiring with officers to encourage the abuse.U.S. District Chief Judge John Tunheim on Monday found Tirado has made a...WW…

By | A journalist who was blinded by a rubber bullet while covering George Floyd protests in Minneapolis filed a lawsuit Wednesday in U.S. District Court against city and state law enforcement.Linda Tirado, a freelance journalist from Tennessee, says she was wearing a press credential May 29 when she stepped in front of a crowd of protesters and aimed her camera at a line of police officers.Minneapolis police or state troopers first hit her with a green marker round, then shot her in the face with a foam bullet, breaking her goggles and leaving her permanently blind in her left eye,...…By | A journalist who was blinded by a rubber bullet while covering George Floyd protests in Minneapolis filed a lawsuit Wednesday in U.S. District Court against city and state law enforcement.Linda Tirado, a freelance journalist from Tennessee, says she was wearing a press credential May 29 when she stepped in front of a crowd of protesters and aimed her camera at a line of police officers.Minneapolis police or state troopers first hit her with a green marker round, then shot her in the face with a foam bullet, breaking her goggles and leaving her permanently blind in her left eye,...WW…

By | | Pioneer PressTwo students say in a new lawsuit that the University of Minnesota’s fee distribution practices illegally favor certain student groups over others.Students at the U’s Twin Cities campus each pay around $900 a year in student fees, most of which covers health and recreation services and the student unions. A small portion of that revenue goes to numerous student groups, which apply for funding under guidelines intended to be “viewpoint-neutral.”In a lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court, students Evan Smith and Isaac Smith say the selection process is...…By | | Pioneer PressTwo students say in a new lawsuit that the University of Minnesota’s fee distribution practices illegally favor certain student groups over others.Students at the U’s Twin Cities campus each pay around $900 a year in student fees, most of which covers health and recreation services and the student unions. A small portion of that revenue goes to numerous student groups, which apply for funding under guidelines intended to be “viewpoint-neutral.”In a lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court, students Evan Smith and Isaac Smith say the selection process is...WW…

By | and | Pioneer PressTwo separate lawsuits seeking class-action status allege law enforcement officers targeted journalists and used unnecessary force against protesters during demonstrations in Minneapolis over the May 25 death of George Floyd in police custody.The American Civil Liberties Union and freelance reporter Jared Goyette filed a lawsuit Tuesday night in U.S. District Court in Minnesota alleging First Amendment violations by the city of Minneapolis, city police leaders and the heads of the State Patrol and Minnesota Department of Public Safety.The complaint alleges officers...…By | and | Pioneer PressTwo separate lawsuits seeking class-action status allege law enforcement officers targeted journalists and used unnecessary force against protesters during demonstrations in Minneapolis over the May 25 death of George Floyd in police custody.The American Civil Liberties Union and freelance reporter Jared Goyette filed a lawsuit Tuesday night in U.S. District Court in Minnesota alleging First Amendment violations by the city of Minneapolis, city police leaders and the heads of the State Patrol and Minnesota Department of Public Safety.The complaint alleges officers...WW…