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.

Dismissal. Client was facing multiple serious charges relating to guns and drugs. Bad combo, to say the least. Client was alleged to have been one of multiple juveniles in a car that drove around, pointed a gun at other kids, and had drugs in their possession at the time of their arrest. A client who had no prior record was caught up with the wrong crowd. The North Star team was diligent in its review of the evidence and research. And, we were persistent in pressing the State to get us all of the discovery after initial disclosures were incomplete. Eventually, it led to the discovery that the evidence pointed to our client being innocent. We filed a motion to dismiss the case. And in the weeks leading up to the hearing, the State came to realize - North Star was right. It dismissed the case prior to the hearing, knowing we were right. The family is thrilled that we brought the fight and got the just result.

Stay of adjudication on both counts. The client had no defenses to these serious charges. But, the North Star team worked with her to get the therapy and programming she needed, and then did a thorough job of humanizing her, explaining the issues she's been dealing with (namely, the trauma she's endured from being a victim of a recent sexual assault). Thankfully, the prosecutor was empathetic to these struggles and agreed to this incredible outcome. With this outcome, our wonderful client will not have a criminal conviction on her record, will stay on track with working through her trauma and programming, and can thankfully advance in her life without fear of a daunting criminal record. Typically, achieving a non-conviction record for both a felony drug and DWI case is damn near impossible - but not for the North Star team. We go above and beyond to fight for our clients that need and deserve these atypical results. We are so proud of our client for all that she's accomplished and thankful to help in her journey.

This client, looking at upwards of 300 months for multiple probation and new cases, settled for a trip to Boot Camp, and a return to his home in roughly eight months, thanks to Mr. Adkins' compelling sentencing arguments and deep research by North Star. Our teamwork is nonpareil, and we are second to none on these types of matters, where all seems lost--the hustle and the creativity matter more, when others would cash in chips or quit the field. North Star just cares more.