Sentencing: A crime and punishment balancing act Our criminal justice system uses a structured format to sentence criminals. The Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines are a set of rules that judges must apply in felony sentencing. This system promotes uniform and proportional sentences for convicted felons and helps to ensure that sentencing decisions are not influenced by factors such as race, gender or the exercise of constitutional rights by defendants. Paul Beaumaster

Small-business caucus created to revitalize business community We learned recently that despite some indications of economic recovery, the unemployment numbers in our area continue to rise. Rep. Patti Fritz - 2 opinions posted