Departure to probation. Every now and again, the North Star team will return to the office with an outcome that doesn’t make a ton of sense, like in the First Degree Assault case described below, the Ramsey County hammer-attack that was nearly a murder, with the client avoiding prison entirely, and achieving a probationary outcome, notwithstanding EVERYONE in opposition to that result, including probation and the State and the victim, etc. Here, Mr. Adkins achieved a no jail, no prison, no challenging terms of probation result for a client facing a mandatory five years in prison, with five or more criminal history points, who was already on probation for a felony drug offense when Mr. Adkins was retained. Probation? Just two years. No fine… simply a stunning turn of events, due to the creative and relentless approach North Star presents in every case we take. This is a life saved, a family protected, and a staggeringly good result.

Plea to a drug count and dismiss the murder count. Mr. Adkins and his team convinced a judge, and eventually the State, to completely abandon a murder allegation, concerning delivery of drugs/fentanyl that resulted in an overdose death, simply based upon Mr. Adkins' assessment of the evidence and a timeline he prepared. This case, involving more than fourteen (!!) victim impact statements and a palpable political environment, was closed with no further jail, a relatively brief period of probation, and a life utterly recovered from despair and panic. This client has followed Mr. Adkins' express directives as well as any client in three decades of practice, and it mattered, right up to the moment the judge pronounced sentence and thanked Mr. Adkins for his efforts. Wins like this are why we exist.

Stay of adjudication to both the drug charge and fleeing in a motor vehicle. The end result - upon the successful completion of probation - is a complete dismissal of the entire case. This is a remarkable outcome due to the nature of the allegations, the fact the officers were not a fan of the client due to the alleged obstruction, and this was achieved in a notoriously challenging County against drug-related offenses. Despite these obstacles, Mr. Gempeler worked hard on the prosecutor to get this needed outcome that avoids both any felony convictions and the possible lengthy loss of license that comes from a felony fleeing conviction. Given that there were no defenses to these charges, obtaining this outcome was tough sledding, but one that the North Star team routinely achieves for its clients.

Continuance for dismissal. This is the best possible plea negotiation absent an outright dismissal. And this was achieved because of the strategic and aggressive approach by Mr. Gempeler and the North Star team. Based upon a recent Supreme Court decision that held the odor of marijuana alone cannot justify a vehicle search, Mr. Gempeler pressed on the State to achieve this outcome. Instead of pushing the matter at a contested hearing where the Court could easily rule in favor of the State, the client took the guaranteed outcome - one in which a dismissal is earned by simply not having any same or similar incidents. Another fantastic result by the North Star team.

Dismissal. Client was charged with drug possession stemming from a routine traffic stop turning into a full search of his vehicle due solely to the odor of marijuana. With cannabis being legal in various forms, the mere odor of it does not permit a full vehicle search - as dictated by the Minnesota Supreme Court. On the day of the contested hearing, the State rightfully dismissed the case after it realized there was no basis to otherwise justify the search and subsequent discovery of the narcotics. Another fantastic win for the North Star team.

Stay of adjudication - no conviction upon successful completion of probation. The client was accused of misappropriating prescription drugs from a nursing home she worked at. Thankfully, she responded the right way by understanding and addressing her addiction that led to this case. By doing so, the North Star team was able to obtain this fantastic outcome - one that is common for a first-time felony drug case, but can be elusive when the allegations include stealing of prescription medications from a workplace. The North Star team emphasized the client's proactive steps and leveraged our good relationships with the prosecutors to secure this needed and deserving outcome.

Stay of adjudication to both counts, meaning the client will not be convicted of anything following this incident so long as he complies with minimal and easy terms of probation for just one year. The client had zero defense, as his ex-spouse's therapist witnessed the incident via a zoom meeting. Despite the evidence completely working against him, proactive steps and the thoughtful approach from Mr. Gempeler yielded this critical and incredible outcome for a deserving client.

Acquittal at trial. Client was alleged to be impaired by marijuana in his system. But, the evidence was severely lacking and, worse yet, the arresting officer actively misled and lied about field test results in his reports. Needless to say, that led to a thorough dismantling of the officer at trial by Mr. Gempeler's cross-examination - even getting the officer to admit, under oath, that he lied in a search warrant affidavit that he submitted to a judge. The jury needed just 30-minutes of "deliberation" to return a verdict of not guilty. Mr. Gempeler's trial skills, once again, overwhelmed the State's case and made the jurors decision easy in returning this just and correct not guilty verdict.