MINNEAPOLIS — Less than a week into a new policy at the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office where racial identity is taken into consideration for plea deals, the US Department of Justice announced it is opening an investigation into the practice.
On social media Saturday, Assistant US Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon posted a letter stating, “This letter is to inform you that the Department of Justice is opening an investigation to determine whether the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) is engaged in a pattern or practice of depriving persons of rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States.”
KARE 11 News reporter Lou Raguse first received a copy of the policy from sources inside Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s office after it began being distributed. The document entitled “Negotiations Policy for Cases Involving Adult Defendants” lays out several considerations for prosecutors to take as they negotiate and offer resolutions to criminal defendants in the form of plea deals, including the race and age of the defendant…