University of St. Thomas School of Law Professor Rachel Moran spoke to KSTP regarding Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s request to prosecute Vance Boelter in state court before federal prosecutors pursue their case.
From the story:
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty wants to prosecute the case against Vance Boelter before the U.S. Attorney’s Office does, a spokesperson for her office confirmed to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.
Both offices announced charges against Boelter on Monday for the killing of House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and the shooting of Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. ...
A state prosecution would draw a jury pool from Hennepin County, compared to the whole state for a federal trial.
“If it were in federal court, obviously different prosecutors would be involved,” said Rachel Moran, a University of St. Thomas School of Law professor. “Hennepin County would perhaps have more familiarity with the local law enforcement officers that were involved in both the evidence collection and the search. On the other hand, the U.S. Attorney’s Office may have more familiarity with the FBI and the federal agents that were involved. Those are some of the factors that will go into potentially deciding who goes first.”
