State of Minnesota v. Nicholas Norton Engel

Thief River Falls, Minnesota criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with felony fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle.



Nicholas Norton Engel argued that his conviction should be reversed because (1) evidence of his flight should have been suppressed because the police officer lacked reasonable, articulable suspicion to stop his vehicle; (2) the evidence was insufficient to prove that he had the specific intent to flee from the police; (3) the district court violated his right to present a complete defense by excluding testimony from his therapist; (4) the district court abused its discretion by denying his motion to dismiss due to respondent State of Minnesota's discovery violations; and (5) the district court violated his due-process rights by denying his motion for a new trial and request for an evidentiary hearing. We hold that the police officer lacked reasonable, articulable suspicion to stop Engel's vehicle, but we conclude that the evidence of Engel's subsequent conduct in fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle was admissible.



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Legal issue Can evidence of fleeing the police be excluded if the vehicle stop was initiated without reasonable, articulable suspicion?



Key Phrases Felony fleeing conviction. Unreasonable seizure. Exclusionary rule. Reasonable, articulable suspicion. Constitutional violation.

Affirmed