Criminal Cases in Chandler, Minnesota
Criminal Defense in Chandler
Chandler, Minnesota
Chandler is a small farming town of under 300 people in southwestern Murray County, served by Minnesota Highway 91 and several county highways. The town rebuilt after an F5 tornado destroyed about half of it in June 1992, and the turbines of the Fenton Wind Farm now line the horizon. Chandler has no police department, so the Murray County Sheriff’s Office handles calls here.
When something happens in Chandler, the investigating agency may be the Murray County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota State Patrol, the MN BCA, or the Buffalo Ridge Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. Those cases are prosecuted by the Murray County Attorney’s Office out of Slayton.
The Murray County Fair in Slayton draws Chandler families every August, with evening entertainment, a beer garden and stock car racing. Even careful people can find themselves in trouble over fair week.
One night can get complicated fast. Call or tell me. We can talk about what happened, and figure out what comes next.
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Arrested in Chandler? What Happens Next?
If you are arrested in Chandler, expect to be booked into the Lyon County Jail in Marshall, MN. The Murray County Sheriff’s Office contracts with Lyon County to house inmates. You will be held there until you see a Judge. From Chandler, it is a drive to Marshall, so call the jail before you go to visit or post bail.
The jail’s current custody list is available here.
What happens next depends on why you were arrested and whether you are released before your first court appearance. If you remain in custody, that first hearing is where the Judge will address bail and release conditions.
If a Loved One Has Been Arrested and is in Jail, What You Need To Know:
What Not To Do
DO NOT DISCUSS THE ALLEGATIONS BY PHONE. Calls out of jail are recorded, and a casual comment from either side of the line can be used in court.
PRESUME MAIL AND VIDEO VISITS ARE NOT MONITORED. They are. And a message passed through a cousin or a friend is not protected just because it was not said directly.
DO NOT DELIVER APOLOGIES OR REQUESTS TO THE ALLEGED VICTIM. A no-contact order covers messages sent through other people. Carrying one can mean another charge for your loved one and can make you part of a witness tampering allegation. This is one of the fastest ways a case gets harder.
DO NOT POST, SHARE OR COMMENT. Whether it is about the arrest, the allegations, your loved one, or the other people involved, keep it offline.
What To Do Now
MOVE QUICKLY TO KEEP EVIDENCE. Video from local businesses and gas stations in and around Chandler is often gone within days. Save text messages. Do not clean or discard clothing that may be relevant, since it may need to be tested later. Receipts and phone location history can help place people at a certain place at a certain time.
CAPTURE THE TIMELINE EARLY. Details fade quickly. Note the times, where people were, and the words that were exchanged.
WRITE DOWN WHO WAS PRESENT. Include phone numbers for anyone who was there or spoke with your loved one that evening.
DOCUMENT IT WITH YOUR PHONE. Take pictures of any injuries, damage, the scene, and the vehicle.
COLLECT THE FACTS THAT HELP AT BAIL. Job, residence, dependents, and ties to the area all matter to the judge. Have them ready, because it may fall to you to share them. The more concrete the information, the more weight it tends to carry.
CONTACT AN ATTORNEY AS SOON AS YOU CAN. Bail and conditions are set at the very beginning of a case, and undoing them later is much harder.
Charged in Chandler? What Happens When You Call Me?
“You do not need to have everything figured out before you call me. In fact, I expect that you will not. You do not need to know the right questions to ask, and you do not need to convince me that you deserve help. You can start just by telling me what happened and what you are worried about most.
I will be honest with you about what I see, what concerns me, what we do not know yet, and what options you have. Making that first call does not commit you to anything. Sometimes the hardest part is simply picking up the phone. We can start there.
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Who Handles a Chandler Criminal Case?
Criminal matters from Chandler are filed with Murray County District Court:
Murray County District Court
2500 28th Street
Slayton, MN 56172
It falls within Minnesota’s Fifth Judicial District. Prosecution of Chandler cases is handled by the Murray County Attorney’s Office. Depending on the hearing, you may appear in person or remotely. Your notice and any court order tell you which one applies.
Investigations can involve the Murray County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota State Patrol or the Buffalo Ridge Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, depending on how the case began.
Cases I Handle
DWI
A DWI case in Minnesota begins before a breath, blood, or urine test is obtained. Why the vehicle was stopped, whether the investigation was lawfully expanded, what the officer observed, and how standardized field sobriety tests and chemical testing were conducted can all matter to the defense.
Drug Possession or Sale
Drug charges in Minnesota often turn on how law enforcement found the drugs, whether there was a lawful search, and whether the State can connect them to the person accused. A substance found in a vehicle, home, or other shared space does not by itself answer who knew it was there or who possessed it. When sale is alleged, the evidence must also support the State’s claim that the conduct went beyond possession.
Felony Criminal Defense
Felony cases rarely turn on a single piece of evidence. The defense begins by testing the State’s theory against the entire record and separating what is alleged from what can actually be established.
Theft and Property Crime
Theft allegations in Minnesota often stem from misunderstandings, shared property, or disputed intent. Ownership, permission, intent, access, and the circumstances surrounding the property can all affect whether the State can establish a theft occurred.
Domestic Assault
Domestic assault cases can develop quickly from a highly charged event into a criminal allegation, sometimes before the surrounding context is clear. What was said and done before, during, and immediately after the incident can matter as much as the first account given to police.
Assault
Assault in Minnesota is not limited to physical contact. A charge can be based on an alleged intent to cause fear of immediate bodily harm or death, or on intentionally inflicting or attempting to inflict bodily harm. Intent, self-defense, the nature of any injury, and the circumstances of the encounter must all be examined in context.
Burglary
Being connected to a location does not, by itself, establish burglary. Important questions still need to be examined. Was entry without consent? What was intended or what occurred inside? Does the evidence actually connect the accused person to the charged conduct? These answers all contribute to a burglary defense in Minnesota.
Criminal Damage to Property
Property damage does not automatically explain who caused it, whether it was intentional, or what the damage is actually worth. Those questions can be central to a criminal damage to property case in Minnesota, including whether the State can prove the offense and the level of charge alleged.
Criminal Sexual Conduct Defense
A criminal sexual conduct allegation in Minnesota must be examined in the context of the evidence surrounding it. Chronology, communications, the way statements were obtained, and medical, digital, or forensic evidence may support, contradict, or place the allegation in a different context.
Felon in Possession and Prohibited Person Firearm and Ammunition Charges
Simply being near a firearm—especially in shared vehicles, homes, or rural properties—does not by itself answer who possessed it or whether the person knew it was there. In shared spaces, access and control matter, and so does whether the alleged legal prohibition actually applied.
Fleeing A Police Officer
Not stopping immediately does not tell the whole story of a fleeing case. The clarity of the officer’s signal, what the driver could perceive, the sequence of events, and whether the conduct shows an intent to elude all matter all matter when determining whether the driver intentionally attempted to elude the officer.
DNA Evidence in Minnesota Criminal Cases
DNA evidence can be powerful, but human judgment can still play a role in its interpretation, making careful review important. Even a scientifically sound DNA result does not, by itself, establish when biological material was deposited, how it got there, or what happened. A DNA result may be scientifically sound and still be legally misleading when used to support a conclusion the science does not establish.
If your Chandler Case Involves DNA
Low-level DNA can sound more definite than it really is. When only a very small amount of DNA is recovered, the laboratory may still be able to generate a profile or statistical result. But the smaller the amount of DNA, the more important it becomes to look closely at how reliable and meaningful that result actually is.
Evidence from a Chandler case is typically sent to the Minnesota BCA laboratory. The final report may tell you that someone cannot be excluded or may give you a likelihood ratio. What it usually does not tell you is how little DNA was actually recovered or what happened to that DNA during testing.
With very small amounts of DNA, alleles can drop out, extra alleles can appear, and repeated testing may not produce exactly the same result. DNA from several people can also become difficult to separate. A strong-looking statistic does not make those problems disappear.
The laboratory does not give you the information to evaluate those questions. That requires the underlying data, analyst notes, electropherograms, quantitation results, and, when used, the STRmix information behind the final number.
Attorneys and families across Minnesota ask me to review DNA evidence in their cases to answer questions just like this. I am a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, a former Chair of its Jurisprudence Section, have completed STRmix training, and train defense lawyers statewide on DNA evidence. Call me and let’s talk through what the DNA actually means in your case.
Common Questions About Chandler Criminal Cases
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No. A lawyer who handles criminal cases in Murray County District Court and understands its process are what can be beneficial to you. I work out of Westbrook and handle cases across southwestern Minnesota, including Murray County. Distance rarely gets in the way of good representation in southwestern Minnesota.
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No. Get legal advice before you agree to an interview or answer questions. The right choice depends on what the investigation is about, what officers already know, and how they view you. In most situations the best thing to do is decline and call an attorney immediately. Anything you say can be used later, even if you meant well.
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Yes. You can get legal advice at any point, and you do not need a charging document first. Getting a lawyer early helps when police are still investigating, when evidence could be lost, or when you are asked for a statement or permission to search your house, car, or personal property.
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Not always. Murray County holds some hearings remotely and others in person. Check your hearing notice, which will say whether you must appear at the courthouse.
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The judge will deal with release and conditions of bail. Judges in Minnesota must look at whether you are a flight risk and public safety when setting your terms and conditions of bail. Prosecutors have the ability to ask the Judge to set specific conditions of release in your case.
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Not for where the case is heard. A case arising in Chandler is generally handled in Murray County, where the alleged offense happened. Distance is something we plan around, not a reason to delay.
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The Minnesota BCA laboratory runs the testing and interpretation of DNA collected in a Chandler case. The conclusions of the lab are set to the prosecutor in a summary report.
Contact a Chandler Criminal Defense Lawyer
Call me, let’s talk.
A criminal charge can make it difficult to think beyond the next court date. You may not know what evidence exists, what the prosecutor will do, or how the case could affect your family, job, license, or freedom.
You do not have to figure it out alone.
I will listen to what happened, review the situation with you, and explain what I believe should happen next.
This page provides general information and is not legal advice. Every criminal case depends on its own facts, evidence, and procedural history.
Practice Scope
My criminal defense practice does not include speeding or minor traffic infractions, probation violation representation, appellate or postconviction work, separate driver's license revocation proceedings, commercial driver's license (CDL) matters, or civil harassment restraining orders (HROs) or orders for protection (OFPs). I do handle the criminal DWI case itself.