What The Law Says About Miniature Horses as Service Animals
July 17, 2013 | Joan M. QuadeBy Joan Quade and Jennifer Wendt Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd Service dogs in our society have become commonplace. Being a nation of pet owners and dog lovers, most people are not surprised that dogs can provide assistance to their owners. But one may be surprised to hear that miniature horses are now being trained and used to assist those with disabilities. [maxbutton id=”1″ ] Yes, miniature horses. They are about the size of a large dog and are extremely cute. Horses are intelligent and have a long history with humans. While we have all seen service dogs, many of us have not seen miniature horses yet. We are all accustomed to seeing dogs in stores, schools, restaurants and even airports. Service animals provide the means for greater independence to individuals with visual difficulties, hearing impairments, or other disabilities. Some service dogs learn to turn off lights, pick up objects, open doors, and can even warn their owner of an impending seizure or a danger in the streets. Service dogs have changed the lives of many disabled individuals. There is, however, a high cost to training service dogs and they have a shorter lifespan than horses. This is one of the reasons cited for training horses as service animals. Even though the horses…
Read MoreLandmark Decision Could Be a Game Changer for DWI Cases
July 15, 2013 | Jon P. EricksonIn April of 2013 the US Supreme Court published its decision in Missouri vs McNeely. This is a landmark decision concerning testing of alcohol in driving while intoxicated (DWI) cases. It requires that the police must get a search warrant to take a sample of a person’s blood absent reasonable consent or exigent circumstances. The language in the decision as well as other decisions by both the US and Minnesota Supreme Court suggests that it also applies to urine or breath tests in DWI cases. Attorneys throughout Minnesota have been arguing in the past months that any tests taken in DWI case are now unconstitutional. This also applies to the civil side of these cases concerning the loss of driver’s licenses, the impounding of plates and the like. I have in my office copies of decisions from Judges in six different counties in both the criminal cases and the civil driver’s licenses cases suppressing evidence from breath, urine, and blood tests relying on the decision in Missouri vs McNeely. We at BGS are recommending that if you’ve been charged with a DWI and/or if your driver’s license is being taken away from you because of a DWI arrest, you should talk to one of our attorneys about your rights. There is much that…
Read MoreHow Much Does a Divorce Cost in Minnesota?
July 15, 2013 | Elizabeth A. SchadingIt’s almost impossible to determine how much a divorce in Minnesota will cost before it begins. There are just too many factors to calculate. You should, however, plan for the divorce to be expensive. You will be dealing with a variety of different costs and fees. The first fee you’ll encounter is the filing fee. It will cost you $400 as of this writing to file your divorce petition in court in Minnesota. [maxbutton id=”1″ url=”https://bgs.com/contact-us/?july” text=”Get Help with Your Case” ] If you need to file any motions each motion filing fee will cost you $100. If you try to file anything by fax you could be hit with additional fees of $25 to $50, each and every time. The filing spouse may need to pay to have the divorce papers served. This is usually $50 or more. If you are low income you can sometimes apply to have many of these fees waived. That doesn’t make your divorce free, but it will alleviate some of the costs. You may have to pay for a custody evaluation. Expect to pay $5,000.00 or more. You also will need to understand that no attorney can predict how many hours it will take to complete your divorce. There will be an hourly fee and an…
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