Criminal Cases in Currie, Minnesota
Criminal Defense in the City of Currie
Currie, Minnesota
Currie is a small town of a couple hundred people on the Des Moines River in eastern Murray County, along Minnesota Highway 30. It calls itself the Gateway to Lake Shetek and is home to the End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum. Currie has no police department of its own, so calls are handled by the Murray County Sheriff’s Office.
In Currie, investigations may involve the Murray County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota State Patrol, the MN BCA, or the Buffalo Ridge Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The Murray County Attorney’s Office in Slayton prosecutes the cases.
Summer at Lake Shetek State Park, just outside Currie, brings campers, boaters and holiday crowds to the area, especially around the Fourth of July. Locals and visitors alike sometimes find themselves in trouble over a busy lake weekend.
Most people I represent never expected to need a criminal defense lawyer. If that is where you are now, call me and we will get your side heard.
Arrested in Currie? What Happens Next?
If you are arrested in Currie, you will be taken to 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 appear in front of a Judge. If you are in jail in Lyon County your first hearing will be heard remotely.
The jail’s current custody list is available here.
When you appear in front of a Judge, bail is set along with the conditions you must follow if released. When you appear in front of a Judge, bail is set along with the conditions you must follow if released.
What happens next depends on why you were arrested and whether you are released before your first court appearance. If you stay in custody, that first hearing is where the Judge will address bail, release conditions, and will set the next court hearing.
If a Loved One Has Been Arrested and is in Jail, What You Need To Know:
What Not To Do
AVOID TALKING ABOUT THE CASE ON THE PHONE. Jail phone lines are recorded, and prosecutors listen to those recordings more often than people realize.
PRESUME MAIL AND VIDEO VISITS ARE MONITORED. They are. And a message passed through a cousin or a friend is not protected just because it was not said directly.
LEAVE THE ALLEGED VICTIM ALONE. If you are asked to call them, say sorry for your loved one, or talk them into dropping the case, say no. Where there is a no-contact order or a domestic allegation, that can lead to new charges against your loved one and questions about you. The court treats a relayed message the same as direct contact.
STAY OFF SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT IT. No posts about the arrest or the allegations, no defending your loved one online, and nothing about anyone else involved.
What To Do Now
MOVE QUICKLY TO SAVE EVIDENCE. Video from local businesses and gas stations in and around Currie 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.
WRITE IT ALL DOWN TODAY. Record the times, the places, who was there, and what was said while it is still clear.
GATHER CONTACT DETAILS. Get names and phone numbers for everyone who was there or talked with you or your loved one that night.
PHOTOGRAPH RELEVANT EVIDENCE. Photos of injuries, the vehicle, damage, and the scene can matter months from now.
CONTACT AN ATTORNEY AND PUT TOGETHER INFORMATION THE JUDGE WILL WANT ABOUT BAIL. Bail and release conditions are decided early. Getting them right the first time is much easier than asking for changes later. I need to know things like employment history, family ties, character and mental condition, length of residence in the community, criminal convictions, prior history of appearing in court, prior flight to avoid prosecution, and the nature and circumstances of the offense charged.
Charged in Currie? 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 Currie Criminal Case?
Currie criminal cases are handled by Murray County District Court:
Murray County District Court
2500 28th Street
Slayton, MN 56172
It falls within Minnesota’s Fifth Judicial District. Prosecution of Currie cases is handled by the Murray County Attorney’s Office. Not every hearing requires a trip to Slayton; some are held remotely. How you must appear is set by your hearing notice and any court order. That courthouse in Slayton is where you will go from Currie for any hearing that requires you in the room.
Which agency is involved depends on the case, but it may be the Murray County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota State Patrol, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, or the Buffalo Ridge Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
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 Currie Case Involves DNA
DNA can get complicated quickly when family members live in the same house, use the same vehicles, and handle the same things. Finding someone’s DNA on an item does not automatically tell us when it got there, how it got there, or what that person was doing.
The BCA laboratory tests biological evidence collected in Currie. The final report may give a conclusion or a statistic, but it can not not explain the everyday context behind the sample in a shared living space.
Family members touch the same doors, furniture, tools, phones, vehicles, clothing, and household items. DNA can move between people and objects through ordinary contact. In cases where family members could have also contributed DNA it can make the interpretation itself more complicated because they share more DNA with each other than unrelated people do.
If DNA is found on something from a shared home, cabin, truck, or boat, I want to know much more than whose profile may be present. I want to know who had access to the item, who normally used it, how it was collected, and whether the testing properly considered related contributors.
The final report will not answer most of those questions. The underlying laboratory file is where I get those answers.
I do this work every day, and attorneys and families across Minnesota ask me to review DNA evidence in their cases. I am a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and a former Chair of its Jurisprudence Section. I have completed STRmix training and train defense attorneys statewide on DNA evidence. Call me and let’s talk about what the DNA actually shows in your case.
Common Questions About Currie Criminal Cases
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No. The important question is whether your lawyer handles criminal cases in Murray County District Court. My office is in Westbrook, and I represent people in criminal cases throughout southwestern Minnesota, including Murray County. Most of my clients live somewhere other than where my office is.
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Not before you get legal advice. You are not required to go in. Whether it is ever wise depends on why they are asking, what they already know, and whether they see you as a witness or a suspect. Usually the right answer is to stay quiet and speak with a lawyer first. Simply say you want to talk to a lawyer first.
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Yes. You do not need to wait until you are charged to talk to a lawyer. In fact, getting a lawyer involved early can matter. Evidence can disappear. Statements can become part of the case. You may be asked to consent to a search or make decisions before you really understand what law enforcement is looking at. If you think you are under investigation, call me before you start trying to explain your way through it.
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Not necessarily. Some Murray County hearings take place remotely. Your notice will tell you whether you need to be at the courthouse. Keep every notice you receive and check the date and format carefully.
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The first hearing is usually about whether you will remain in custody, be released without posting bail, or have bail and other conditions set. What the Judge does will depend on the charge, the circumstances of the case, any public safety concerns, whether there is a concern you will not return to court, and what the prosecutor is asking for.
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Murray County District Court. Cases generally proceed in the county where the alleged offense occurred, even if you live elsewhere. Many of the hearings can be handled without you traveling back each time, but not all of them.
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No. It goes to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension laboratory in St. Paul. Local officers collect and package it, and the BCA does the testing and interpretation before reporting to the prosecution. Your lawyer can ask for the full laboratory case file, not just the report.
Contact a City of Currie 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.