Results

Kelly Keegan’s client was charged with Gross Misdemeanor Fifth Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct and Misdemeanor Third Degree Riot for allegedly touching a girl’s breasts without consent at the Minnesota State Fair. Because Kelly’s client was a juvenile at the time of the offense, the case was transferred to Anoka County. Kelly was able to negotiate a plea to just one of the counts, and also convince the judge to stay adjudication, with the result that her client’s guilty plea to the remaining count will be dismissed upon successful completion of supervised probation.

Kelly’s client pled guilty almost twenty years’ ago to fourth degree criminal sexual conduct with an underage neighbor, subjecting him to a lifetime ban on possessing firearms. Kelly was able to convince the court to grant the motion to restore his firearm rights by demonstrating her client’s successful rehabilitation, including gainful and stable employment, a happy family with a wife of 16 years’ and two children, therapy and counselling, and no additional criminal history. Kelly also highlighted her client’s remorse for his actions, which he attributed to his immature mindset at 23. The court was convinced that Kelly's arguments constituted ‘good cause’ and ordered the full restoration of her client’s firearm rights.

Kelly’s client tried on his own for several years to challenge the Anoka County Sheriff’s denial of his permit to carry application on the basis of a misdemeanor disorderly conduct offense. Finally, at wits end, he hired Kelly, who brought the case to court, arguing successfully against the Sherriff’s and the Anoka County Attorney’s interpretation that the offense was a prohibited crime of domestic assault. Kelly was able not only to win the case, restoring her client’s gun rights, but require the sheriff to fully reimburse her client’s legal fees.

When Kelly’s client was denied a Permit to Purchase by the St. Paul Police Department, he called her for help. The client had a conviction for Felony Criminal Vehicular Operation, which is not a crime of violence in Minnesota and therefore not a firearms prohibitor. Kelly contacted the St. Paul Police Department, notifying them of their error. The St. Paul Police Department quickly reversed their decision and granted the client’s Permit to Purchase application.

Kelly’s client, nearly 25 years prior, was convicted of Felony Fifth Degree Sale of a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine). This was a troubled period of the client’s life, but, following his conviction, he worked to get sober and change his life around. The client is now well-known in his community for being an upstanding citizen. He had four children, bought a home, started several businesses, and frequently volunteered with local efforts. A Judge previously acknowledged these efforts at rehabilitation by granting the client an expungement, but the client later learned that the expungement did not restore his right to possess firearms. Kelly worked tirelessly with the court to get access to the sealed file, to learn the details of her client’s case, and to prepare a Petition for the restoration of his firearm rights. After Kelly spoke with the prosecutor about her client’s successful rehabilitation, the prosecutor agreed not to object to the petition, a rarity in Nicollet County. Ultimately, the Judge heard the case and promptly granted the client’s Petition, restoring his firearm rights and allowing him to finally move on from this offense.