Stearns County is expecting a record amount of jury trials in 2022.  That according to Stearns County Attorney Janelle Kendall.  She joined me on WJON.  She explains the reason for the record is a combination of a backed up amount of trials for the best two years and more cases going to trial from incidents happening this year.

Kendall says Stearns County has had more than 70 jury trials in the past 18 months and the juries consisting of 12 registered voters, have found a way to see eye to eye and agree unanimously on guilty and not guilty verdicts based on the evidence presented to them every time.  She says this is impressive considering how the juries are selected based on a random cross section of the county with a wide variety of viewpoints and opinions.  Kendall indicated she was wondered how jury trials would go with the amount of dissention in society.

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Kendall indicates the main cases that go to trial are domestic and sex crimes and she says these types of cases never slowed down despite the pandemic.  She indicated there is just a lot of person crimes in the county and these types of crimes are going up and have been so for the past few years.  Kendall says these are the cases they try first because how hard these things are on the people involved.

Gun crimes and street races were issues Janelle Kendall and I discussed as well.  She says street racing is down but gun crimes are still up.    Kendall says gun permits tripled in the county in the past year for those carrying legally.  She says many others are obtaining guns illegally.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Janelle Kendall it is available below.

 

 

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