Thomas Lane was getting ready to go on trial on June 13th with his two co-defendants for aiding and abetting the murder of George Floyd. They have already been convicted in Federal Court for other charges but this was the original set of charges that they faced following the conviction of Derek Chauvin.

Lane made the decision on 5/17 to plead guilty rather than going to trial. This was Lane’s right but it is always complicated to decide which direction to go when facing serious felony charges like murder in Minnesota Criminal Court. There are series of difference issues that should be considered when deciding whether to go to trial versus pleading guilty to anything. If you are facing such charges, make sure that you sit down with an experienced Minnesota criminal defense attorney.

“Going to trial is a client’s Constitutional right. At the same time, knowing what happens if you win or lose can be equally important. What do you risk if things go wrong? Are there alternatives?”

Criminal Defense Attorney Jack Rice sat down with Callan Gray of KSTP TV to talk about Thomas Lane’s decision to plead and to talk about the process one goes through to make a decision like this. We talked about the risks versus rewards of going to trial and the potential exposure of losing.

If you are facing serious charges, talk with a criminal defense attorney who can give you an assessment of your case, the exposure you might face and the various avenues that you might take. Knowing your options is everything.

Jack Rice is an award winning criminal defense attorney, a former U.S. Federal Officer, a former prosecutor, a Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist and the Founder of Jack Rice Defense. Contact Jack Rice Defense for a free confidential consultation or call 651-447-7650 or 612-227-1339.

It goes without saying that having a fair jury matters in a criminal trial in Minnesota. That said, that doesn’t always mean that it happens. Picking a fair trial, sometimes called jury selection, sometimes called voir dire, is a lot more complicated than people may realize. Consider, what happens when somebody isn’t completely forthcoming during questioning? What happens if they downright lie in order to get on that jury. Worse, what happens when they get on the jury with the intention of driving the verdict one direction or another. If you are facing a jury trial, you need to sit down with an experienced criminal defense attorney here in Minnesota who has done this before, a lot.

“If your jury is unfair or against you before you even start, it almost doesn’t matter what you present or how you present it. It may be the single most important issue.”

Jack Rice appears on AM 950 in Minneapolis with Matt McNeil on April 29, 2022, to discuss the Derek Chauvin case and their recent decision to appeal their conviction. It is a big deal and several of the arguments they are making involve unfair jurors or unfair influence on those juries themselves.

If you are facing criminal charges in Minnesota, you have the right to have a jury trial. Make sure that you sit down with an experienced Minnesota criminal defense attorney to talk about what that means. Jack Rice is a Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist, a former prosecutor, a former U.S. Federal Agent and Founder of Jack Rice Defense. Contact Jack Rice Defense for a free confidential constultation or call 651-447-7650 or 612-227-1339.

Derek Chauvin’s attorneys appealed his state court conviction for the murder of George Floyd. While there were a lot of claims, many involved the undue influence the publicity had on the case and the mania that took place outside of the court that continued to have an impact on the inside of the court. If you are facing serious criminal charges in Minnesota, contact and experienced Minnesota criminal defense attorney.

“Appeals are extraordinarily difficult to win. As a result, it is also ways best to win at the trial court if at all possible.”

Jack Rice appears on Law & Crime with Dan Abrams on 4/28/22 to discuss the case, the appeal and the likelihood of success for Derek Chauvin. Also, it is a bit of a reunion for Jack and Dan. They appears a few times together on NBC back in the 2000’s.

If you are facing serious criminal charges in Minnesota, it is important to sit down and have a long conversation with an experienced Minnesota criminal defense attorney. Talk about the allegations, the facts, witnesses, possible defenses and more.

Jack Rice is a Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist, a former prosecutor, a former U.S. Federal Agent and the Founder of Jack Rice Defense. Contact Jack Rice Defense for a free confidential consultation or call 651-447-7650 or 612-227-1339.

When Derek Chauvin was charged with murder in Minneapolis by the state of Minnesota, there was always a very real threat of federal prosecution. In fact, Chauvin’s original Attorney was trying to negotiate both sides of that threat from the beginning.

On Tuesday, September 14th, Chauvin entered not guilty pleas to Federal charges along with the other co-defendants. The fear of the Feds should be very real in this case because he and they could face even longer sentences than they would from state charges and it runs consecutive to any state convictions.

Award winning criminal defense attorney Jack Rice appears on WCCO Radio on September 15th the talk murder, Chauvin and what comes next.

It was one year ago that an event happened on a street in South Minneapolis. While something liked this has happened in this country for centuries, this one was different for one reason, a cell phone. George Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin on the corner of 38th and Chicago in South Minneapolis one year ago today. He wasn’t the first to die at the hands of the police in this country. The difference is that we all were able to watch it at its most brutal and it was harder to look away.

In this year, also the year of COVID, Minneapolis and St. Paul continue to struggle to transform. The “one bad apple” argument has raised its head again and again. It was just these four guys. It is convenient but it is false. It is bigger and broader than that.

I appear on Press TV in the Middle East today on the one year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder to discuss what has happened in the criminal justice system in this country as well as in our society as well. It promises to be a edgy but honest.

Jack Rice is a criminal defense attorney, former prosecutor, former Federal Agent and Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist. He is the founder of Jack Rice Defense, a Criminal Defense Firm based in the Minnesota.

The Derek Chauvin trial (George Floyd) is ramping up here in Minneapolis and local and State official are already ramping up security with an expected 1100 police officers backed up by more than 2000 National Guard. There will certainly be protests but the concern is differentiating between the peaceful & violent. At the same time, consider protestor treatment here versus at the US Capitol. That is clearly also a concern. At the same time, imagine trying to pick a jury amidst the barricades and police and chants for justice. The Chauvin trial is scheduled to begin on March 8th. As a former prosecutor and criminal defense attorney, I’ll be doing a lot of media analysis locally and across the country. Buckle up. It’s going to get bumpy.

I appear on WCCO Radio on January 12th at 8:10 a.m to discuss the George Floyd case. In a win for Derek Chauvin’s co-defendants, the Judge in the George Floyd murder case has agreed to separate trials for Derek Chauvin, the cop who had his knee on George Floyd’s neck for more than seven minutes until he died, and his co-defendants. This is a big deal for the co-defendants because they now have more flexibility and the opportunity to separate themselves from Chauvin which they are absolutely trying to do.