Overview
- Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty reiterated in a FOX 9 interview that her office will generally decline felony charges that stem only from non–public-safety stops, with case-by-case exceptions.
- Anoka County Attorney Brad Johnson criticized the policy on Facebook and invoked Timothy McVeigh’s arrest, which Moriarty countered involved a no‑plate violation not covered by her policy’s list of low-level infractions.
- The policy specifies that stops for issues like excessive tint, expired tabs, broken lights, or missing mirrors will not lead to felony charging if they are the sole basis for the stop.
- Both Moriarty’s office and Hennepin County police chiefs cite data showing roughly 0.5% of traffic stops lead to meaningful prosecutions, while county law enforcement leaders warn the change could hinder gun recoveries.
- Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt said nearly half of 377 illegal guns seized this year came from traffic stops, as Moriarty highlights Ramsey County’s similar 2021 approach and notes it has been overridden about five times.