April 10, 2014
Yesterday, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed H.F. 2281 with a vote of 115-13 in favor of the bill. The bill has been forwarded on to the State Senate for consideration.
The bill, if enacted into law, would make a DWI a “breach of the peace,” allowing the lawmaker to be arrested while the house is in session. After being arrested and booked, lawmakers would be still be allowed to vote. Current law grants legislators immunity from arrest while the house is in session except for “treason, felony, and breach of the peace.” The reason for the current law is to combat arrests that are intended to prevent a legislator from voting.
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Coley Grostyan is a Minneapolis, MN DWI defense attorney who represents individuals accused of alcohol related crimes in the Minnesota.