Reference
Minnesota Criminal Law Glossary
Plain-English definitions of common Minnesota criminal law terms, drawn from Keil Defense practice-area guides and linked to fuller explanations. This glossary is general information, not legal advice, and definitions may depend on the facts of a specific case.
Key Terms
Common criminal-defense terms, organized alphabetically.
Each term links back to the practice page where it is defined in context. These are existing site definitions collected in one place for easier reference.
- Aggravated felony
- An immigration-law category (broader than it sounds) that can trigger removal. See: Immigration Consequences
- Attribution
- Whether alleged online activity can be connected to a specific person. See: Internet Crimes
- Campus disciplinary process
- A school's internal process, separate from criminal court, with its own rules. See: Title IX / Campus
- Certification
- The process by which a juvenile case can be moved to adult court, raising the stakes significantly. See: Juvenile Defense
- Charging decision
- The prosecutor's decision whether to file charges and what to file, sometimes still open to influence before it is made. See: Pre-Charge Defense
- CHIPS
- Child in Need of Protection or Services - a juvenile-court proceeding addressing a child's safety. See: CHIPS / Child Protection
- Collateral consequence
- An effect beyond the sentence - here, the lasting impact of a theft conviction on employment and housing. See: Theft Defense
- Competency
- Whether a person can understand the proceedings and assist in their defense; governed in Minnesota by Minn. Stat. Sections 611.42-611.45. See: FASD / Mental Health
- Conditions of release
- Rules set by the court while a case is pending; violating them can create new charges. See: Domestic Assault Defense
- Controlled substance degrees
- Minnesota grades drug crimes by substance, weight, and circumstances, from fifth to first degree. See: Drug Crimes Defense
- CPS investigation
- A child-protection inquiry that can run alongside, and affect, a criminal case. See: CHIPS / Child Protection
- Crime involving moral turpitude
- An immigration-law category that can trigger serious consequences. See: Immigration Consequences
- Criminal Rehabilitation
- A permanent Canadian process to overcome inadmissibility, generally available after a set period since the sentence was completed. See: Canada Entry / Travel
- Custodial interrogation
- Questioning after you are in custody, which triggers Miranda protections; many pre-charge interviews happen before that point. See: Pre-Charge Defense
- DANCO
- Domestic Abuse No Contact Order - a criminal-case order prohibiting contact with an alleged victim. See: DANCO / No Contact Orders
- Degrees of assault
- Minnesota grades assault by injury, weapon use, victim, and intent, which sets the charge level. See: Felony Assault
- Degrees of CSC
- Minnesota grades these cases by degree based on alleged conduct, age, relationship, force or coercion, and vulnerability. See: Criminal Sexual Conduct
- Degrees of homicide
- Minnesota distinguishes murder and manslaughter by intent, premeditation, and circumstances, which drives the exposure. See: Homicide / Serious Felonies
- Delinquency petition
- The document that begins a juvenile case, similar to a criminal charge for adults. See: Juvenile Defense
- Demand for judicial determination
- The step required to contest a forfeiture, with a strict deadline. See: Vehicle / Property Forfeiture
- Digital forensics
- The analysis of devices and data used as evidence in computer cases. See: Internet Crimes
- Direct appeal
- A challenge to a conviction or sentence in the appellate court, with a firm filing deadline. See: Appeals / Post-Conviction
- Discovery
- The State's evidence - reports, forensics, witness statements - that the defense reviews and tests. See: Homicide / Serious Felonies
- Domestic assault
- The charge strangulation is often added to. See: Strangulation
- Domestic Assault by Strangulation (Minn. Stat. 609.2247)
- Minnesota's felony strangulation offense - up to three years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine - distinct from misdemeanor domestic assault. See: Strangulation
- EJJ
- Extended Jurisdiction Juvenile - a status carrying both juvenile and conditional adult consequences. See: Juvenile Defense
- Eligibility waiting period
- The time that must pass after a case before certain records can be sealed. See: Expungements
- Expungement
- A court process that seals a record from most public access; not the same as deletion. See: Expungements
- FASD
- Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders - permanent, often-invisible brain differences that can bear on intent, suggestibility, and sentencing. See: FASD / Mental Health
- First appearance
- Your initial court date, where charges are read and release conditions are set. See: Stages of a Case
- Forensic interview
- A structured interview of a complainant whose method and reliability can become a central issue. See: Criminal Sexual Conduct
- Forfeiture
- A legal process by which the State seeks to permanently take property connected to certain offenses. See: Vehicle / Property Forfeiture
- Great bodily harm
- A statutory injury threshold that can elevate an assault to a more serious felony. See: Felony Assault
- Gross misdemeanor
- A middle tier between misdemeanor and felony, with greater exposure than a standard misdemeanor. See: Misdemeanor Defense
- HRO
- Harassment Restraining Order - a civil order addressing harassment, not limited to domestic relationships. See: OFP / HRO Defense
- Ignition interlock
- A device program that can allow earlier driving after a revocation. See: License Revocation
- Implied consent
- Minnesota's framework tying chemical testing to driver's license consequences after an impaired-driving arrest. See: DWI / DUI Defense
- Implied consent revocation
- The administrative loss of driving privileges tied to chemical testing after a DWI arrest. See: License Revocation
- Inadmissibility
- A finding under Canadian law that a person may be refused entry, which a criminal record can trigger. See: Canada Entry / Travel
- Intent to defraud
- The mental state most fraud charges require; a central issue in the defense. See: White-Collar Defense
- Judicial review
- The court process for challenging a license revocation, with a strict petition deadline. See: DWI / DUI Defense
- Limited license
- A restricted license that may allow driving for work or necessities under certain conditions. See: License Revocation
- Look-back period
- The window of time prior offenses count against you. Minnesota extended this from 10 to 20 years in 2025, which can raise the degree of a new charge. See: DWI / DUI Defense
- Mandatory minimum
- A statutory floor on a sentence for certain federal offenses, below which a judge generally cannot go absent a specific exception. See: Federal Defense
- Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines
- The grid-based framework that guides felony sentencing. See: Stages of a Case
- Mitigation
- Evidence about a person's circumstances and condition that can shape sentencing and resolution. See: FASD / Mental Health
- Modification
- A request to change or lift order conditions, which has its own process. See: DANCO / No Contact Orders
- Mutual combat
- A circumstance where both parties willingly fought, which can affect how a case is charged or resolved. See: Assault Defense
- No-contact order / DANCO
- A court order barring contact with the alleged victim, often imposed at the first appearance. See: Domestic Assault Defense
- OFP
- Order for Protection - a civil order in domestic-relationship situations. See: OFP / HRO Defense
- Omnibus hearing
- A pretrial hearing where evidence and constitutional issues are raised and decided. See: Felony Defense
- Padilla v. Kentucky
- The U.S. Supreme Court decision recognizing a defendant's right to be advised of the immigration consequences of a plea. See: Immigration Consequences
- Parallel proceedings
- When a campus matter and a criminal case proceed at the same time. See: Title IX / Campus
- Post-conviction relief
- A separate process to raise issues such as new evidence or ineffective assistance, with its own rules. See: Appeals / Post-Conviction
- Predatory offender registration
- A registration requirement many convictions can trigger, with long-lasting consequences. See: Criminal Sexual Conduct
- Pretrial conference
- A stage where the case is discussed and potential resolutions are explored before trial. See: Misdemeanor Defense
- Removal
- The immigration term for deportation. See: Immigration Consequences
- Restitution
- Court-ordered repayment to alleged victims, common in financial cases. See: White-Collar Defense
- Revocation hearing
- The proceeding where the court decides whether a violation occurred and what happens next. See: Probation Violations
- Search and seizure
- Constitutional limits on how police gather evidence; violations can lead to suppression. See: Drug Crimes Defense
- Self-defense
- A legal justification that, where it applies, can defeat an assault charge. See: Assault Defense
- Sentencing guidelines
- Minnesota's framework that, with the offense and criminal history, shapes the presumptive sentence. See: Felony Defense
- Stayed sentence
- A sentence that is held in reserve while you are on probation; a violation can trigger it. See: Probation Violations
- Supervised release
- A period of post-prison supervision with conditions, imposed in most federal felony sentences - federal law's counterpart to state supervised release, not the same as parole. See: Federal Defense
- Suppression
- A court ruling that unlawfully obtained evidence cannot be used. See: Drug Crimes Defense
- Target letter
- A notice from federal prosecutors that you are a target of a grand jury investigation. See: Federal Defense
- Target or person of interest
- Someone investigators believe may be connected to a crime, before any charge is filed. See: Pre-Charge Defense
- Temporary Resident Permit (TRP)
- Temporary permission from Canadian authorities to enter despite inadmissibility, for a specific purpose and period. See: Canada Entry / Travel
- Theft by swindle
- A Minnesota fraud offense involving obtaining property by deception. See: White-Collar Defense
- Theft by value
- Minnesota grades theft offenses largely by the dollar value alleged. See: Theft Defense
- Title IX
- The federal law under which many campus sexual-misconduct proceedings are conducted. See: Title IX / Campus
- U.S. Sentencing Guidelines
- The advisory framework used to calculate federal sentences based on the offense and criminal history. See: Federal Defense
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