Upper Midwest Law Center Files Supreme Court Brief Against Minneapolis Police Defunding

Upper Midwest Law Center Files Supreme Court Brief Against Minneapolis Police Defunding

Minnesota Supreme Court to review Spann, et al. v. Minneapolis City Council after Court of Appeals Decision leaves Minneapolis’ safety in serious jeopardy

Golden Valley, MN – Yesterday, the Upper Midwest Law Center filed a brief with the Minnesota Supreme Court on behalf of eight Northside residents seeking reversal of the Minnesota Court of Appeals (COA) decision that held that the Minneapolis Mayor has no duty to employ a single police officer.

The Hennepin County District Court sided with UMLC in the summer of 2021 and ruled that Minneapolis must fund and employ at least 730 sworn police officers by June 30, 2022. The Court of Appeals reversed the lower court’s decision this past March.

UMLC’s clients have seen their neighbors, friends, and homes shot amidst rampant violence. Despite desperate pleas for restoration of the Minneapolis Police Department to stop the violence in their neighborhoods, the city continued to cut the police budget and refused to increase hiring to restore the depleted force.

The fifty-eight page brief argues that the text, structure, and history of the City Charter show a clear legal obligation to establish and maintain a police force based on the officer per resident ratio outlined in the city charter.

“Minneapolis currently has fewer than 583 officers, which clearly violates the City Charter,” said James Dickey, Senior Legal Counsel at the Upper Midwest Law Center. Our clients and their neighbors are the ones suffering because of it. We look forward to the Supreme Court upholding the Charter and requiring the City Council and Mayor to do their jobs and start protecting their residents.”

The Minneapolis Mayor and City Council must respond to the court by May 17, 2022.

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Upper Midwest Law Center is a non-profit, public interest law firm with the mission to initiate pro-freedom litigation to protect against constitutional violations, government overreach, special interest agendas and public union corruption and abuses. UMLC is a 501(c)(3) organization.

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Upper Midwest Law Center Files Supreme Court Brief Against Minneapolis Police Defunding