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DOJ Launches Civil Rights Investigation into Hennepin County Prosecutor's Race-Conscious Plea Policy

The federal probe will examine whether the Minnesota office's directive to consider racial identity in plea deals violates constitutional protections.

The DOJ has written to Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty -- pictured here in 2024.
FILE - Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty explains her progressive approach to prosecutions, June 19, 2024, at her office in Minneapolis, Minn. (AP Photo/Mark Vancleave, File)
FILE - Harmeet Dhillon walks through a hallway after talking to reporters at the Republican National Committee winter meeting in Dana Point, Calif., Jan. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
Attorney General Pam Bondi tours a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) research laboratory on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Northern Virginia. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Overview

  • The Department of Justice has formally opened a civil rights investigation into the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office over its new plea-deal policy, which took effect on April 28, 2025.
  • The policy directs prosecutors to consider racial identity and address racial disparities as part of their overall analysis when negotiating plea offers.
  • The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section will oversee the investigation, with plans to coordinate with County Attorney Mary Moriarty to define its scope and parameters.
  • Moriarty defends the policy as a constitutional measure aimed at addressing unconscious racial bias, denying that it treats defendants differently based on race.
  • The investigation reflects broader tensions surrounding progressive criminal justice reforms, racial equity efforts, and federal oversight of local prosecutorial practices.