Following deliberations Thursday, the grand jury in Crow Wing County came in with a no bill meaning no indictments were handed down.
The grand jury’s decision came after hearing two-and-a-half days of testimony from 18 witnesses and roughly 60-plus exhibits. Deliberations, which began about 3 p.m., lasted about two hours. Grand jury members — between 16 and 23 are called — convened on Tuesday at the Crow Wing County Judicial Center in Brainerd.
Testimony and evidence presented involved the allegations of inappropriate voter assistance in the 2010 election and other voting law violations and allegations of exploitation of vulnerable adults. The investigation did find four people from Clark Lake Home voted in the 2010 election although their right to vote had been taken away through the court as they were placed in a guardianship.
“We conducted what I thought was a thorough and complete investigation,” said Crow Wing County Attorney Don Ryan Thursday, adding that information was presented to the grand jury, which can ask for more information or additional evidence before making a decision. “I will let their decision speak for itself.”
Al Stene, whose vulnerable adult son Jim, then a Clark Lake Home resident, was one of the residents taken to vote in the 2010 general election, has spoken out previously on what he considered the exploitation of vulnerable adults. Jim Stene’s voting rights were not revoked in his guardianship but his father said as parents and legal guardians they were not consulted as to whether he should vote or not.
“The system has opened the season on vulnerable adults in Crow Wing County,” Stene said. He declined to answer any questions or talk about next steps.
Under Minnesota law, people in guardianships have the right to vote unless it is specifically revoked. Ryan said the issues in election law and who should or should not vote should be a legislative and civil decision.
“They are not Crow Wing County criminal justice issues,” Ryan said. “Obviously I don’t have a crystal ball but I consider the matter concluded with the grand jury’s decision.”
Critics pointed to the length of time it took for investigators to find the four people who voted but had previously had their voting rights revoked. They pointed to the fact that court orders regarding the restrictions through the guardianship are public documents and readily found with court administration.
No matter how the investigation was conducted or decision rendered, people will stand and second guess, Ryan said.
“We made our decisions based on facts and proof when that is applied to the law,” Ryan said.
Ryan said the grand jury’s decision will no doubt be debated and lead to speculation and supposition. But he said he’ll leave that to the future to decide.
“I believe it’s time for our community to come back together now,” Ryan said. “It’s an electoral law issue.”
Through the grand jury process, a judge convenes the grand jury, provides instructions and then leaves until the jury deliberations are concluded. When all the evidence is presented, the grand jury may ask a prosecutor for additional evidence or to look at other areas of law.
so be it
The people of the grand jury have spoken.
Hmmm.... The comment section
Hmmm.... The comment section is awfully quiet. Where are the Armchair Republicans who were trying this case from their basement computers?
Is there no more grist for the mill?
It would seem so, Fred.
Funny how, for some, this issue made the holocaust pale in comparison. But a Grand Jury couldn't find enough evidence to make it worth wasting any more of the taxpayer's dollars.
No doubt 'plotting' their
No doubt 'plotting' their next move, fred. What began as a scheme conceived to accuse Democrats of subverting the election process, under the over-arching conservative plan to gain political advantage by passing voter ID legislation, has evolved (or devolved, as it were) into baseless rhetoric calling for the removal of the county attorney and anyone else who they perceive as an impediment to their self-proclaimed 'altruistic' motivations. The 'vulnerable adults', whose rights these zealots claim to be championing, have now become pawns in a ceaseless effort to advance a far-right agenda. Make no mistake, fred, these folks are not "Armchair Republicans".
Maybe Vincent will
apologize for accusing the county attorney of unethical behavior and chiding the Dispatch for not finding people guilty until proven innocent.
Naw.
Obviously the jury had
people like the above poster's lack of intelligence and had an agenda of their own; kinda like the case going on against Jackson's doctor!
"The point I was making was not that Grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn't. But she is a typical white person..-Obama
LOL
That's cute! Your boyfriend will be glad you are sticking up for him. Any other unrelated tripe and weak barbs you would like to send out?
Grand Jury's Instructions
{{The investigation did find four people from Clark Lake Home voted in the 2010 election although their right to vote had been taken away through the court as they were placed in a guardianship.}}
Four group home residents had their right to vote taken away by the court and still, no indictments?
Perhaps Ryan would release his instructions to the Grand Jury, unless of course, his instructions are the reason there weren’t any indictments.
In fiscal year 2000, federal grand juries voted to indict a total of 59,472 suspects and chose not to indict 29 suspects only one out of every two thousand suspects was left un-indicted.
A Grand Jury that produces a 'no bill, does so because that's what the County Attorney desires.
Jeff Czeczok
Wow snacky
Thank you for going to the bottom of the pit where your kind breeds. Any other words of wisdom from someone such as you before I scrape you off my shoe?
"The point I was making was not that Grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn't. But she is a typical white person..-Obama
smell
your thought processes may not work but apparently your nose does.if you knew all the facts you could apply the smell test to it.if both of yours were functioning,you could see the WHOLE issue and the way crow wing county handled it STINKS. ps:dont rely on the dispatch for your information as some officials in crow wing county do.
You guys must be right
A jury, having looked at all the evidence, did not make the correct decision. They don't know what they are doing.
But you guys do...