Facing criminal charges is challenging enough without police playing fast and loose with the facts. The good news? Mistakes and inaccuracies in police reports can sometimes become your strongest defense.

Even minor inconsistencies in police reports can expose unreliable investigations, potentially derailing the prosecution’s case from the start.

At Martine Law, our lawyers are dedicated to identifying and leveraging these discrepancies to challenge the prosecution’s claims.

With our extensive experience in criminal defense, we work tirelessly to ensure that errors in police reports are exposed, with our reliable legal team providing you with the best possible defense.

What Information Goes Into a Police Report?

A police report provides a written account of an officer’s observations and details from an alleged criminal incident or investigation. This document often serves as the prosecution’s basis for pressing charges and proceeding to trial.

Typically, police reports include details such as:

Date, time, and location of the alleged incident
Identity of the reporting officer(s)
Personal information of victims, witnesses, and suspects
Officer accounts of interviews with involved parties
Descriptions of alleged unlawful acts
Records of evidence collected or observed
Initial charges cited based on the investigations

Much of the factual information for building a criminal case relies on police reports.

Prosecutors utilize these documents when doing the following:

Drafting initial charging documents
Arguing before grand juries
Even questioning witnesses at trial

So, the validity and accuracy of police reports establish the foundation. Any cracks or errors in these early records can compromise the trajectory of an entire case. That’s why defense scrutiny of police documents is so vital.

Here’s where our Minnesota criminal defense lawyers come in—we meticulously review every detail of police reports to uncover inconsistencies, omissions, or errors. Using our extensive experience, our criminal defense attorneys build a strategy designed to challenge unreliable evidence and protect your rights.

How Can an Inaccurate Police Report Lead to Dismissal of Your Case in Minnesota?

Discrepancies between flawed initial police paperwork and the facts of the case can lead to the dismissal of criminal charges. Under Minnesota Rules of Criminal Procedure 17.06, Subdivision 4(3), cases lacking probable cause due to insufficient or flawed evidence must be dismissed.

The Constitution protects defendants from careless police investigations and prosecutorial errors, requiring judges to dismiss cases where sloppy police work undermines the prosecution.

Since police reports form the basis of many criminal cases, errors, omissions, or falsifications in these documents can severely impact the prosecution.

Several issues with police reports that may compel the dismissal of charges include:

Inconsistent Witness Statements – If recorded witness interviews in reports contradict each other or alleged victims’ court testimony, it undermines credibility. Judges recognize the impossibility of inconsistent accounts all being true.
Missing Evidence Details – Failing to properly document evidence or its chain of custody can result in excluding evidence.
Incorrect Timelines – Flawed event sequences in reports expose investigation negligence and call all claims into question.
Mischaracterized Reports – Substantive differences between initial reports and subsequent sworn testimony signal misleading documentation, which judges frown upon.
Fabricated Statements – False or unambiguously inaccurate witness statements in reports smack of misconduct and contamination of facts.

Accuracy matters from the start. Defendants can use mistakes in sloppy or false paperwork to get their charges tossed out early. Defense attorneys for criminal charges often focus on these issues to weaken the prosecution’s argument, exposing flaws in the case and securing dismissals.

How Do Faulty Police Reports Happen?

In some cases, errors in police reports are honest mistakes. The officer may have recalled the events incorrectly or failed to gather complete information.

However, in other cases, the police report may intentionally include false or misleading information to justify the arrest or charges. An experienced criminal defense attorney will analyze the police report to see if there are any red flags of dishonesty.

Below are some common examples of how inaccurate information ends up in reports:

Fill in memory gaps with assumptions rather than facts.
Rely solely on unverified eyewitness accounts.
Omit exculpatory evidence.
Exaggerate or falsify statements made by the defendant.
Claim the defendant made incriminating statements that were never said.

Regardless of the reason, inaccuracies in police reports can be used by the defense to challenge the validity of the charges.

How Criminal Defense Attorneys in Minnesota Can Leverage a Faulty Report

As your criminal defense attorney in Minnesota, our lawyers at Martine Law will thoroughly review the police report and supporting documentation to find any inconsistencies, omissions, or misrepresentations.

Some of the ways a criminal defense attorney can leverage a problematic police report include:

File a motion to dismiss – Focusing on the lack of probable cause, we can file a motion to dismiss the criminal complaint entirely. If granted, the case is dismissed.
File a motion to suppress – The evidence could be suppressed if the officer violated your Miranda rights or conducted an illegal search.
Attack credibility – Any dishonesty in the report undermines the officer’s credibility at trial.
Uncover investigative failures – We will look for evidence mishandling, lack of thorough interviews, or other investigative problems.

By dissecting police reports and identifying discrepancies, we work to reduce or dismiss charges before trial, saving you time, stress, and financial strain.

Statutes of Limitation in Minnesota Criminal Cases

Under Minnesota Statutes § 628.26, the statutes of limitation for criminal charges depend on the nature of the offense:

Felony offenses: Generally, six years from the date of the alleged incident.
Gross misdemeanors: Generally, three years from the date of the alleged incident.
Misdemeanors: Generally, two years from the date of the alleged incident.

If inaccuracies or omissions in police reports delay the discovery of critical evidence, this timeline could impact whether charges can be legally pursued.

Contact The Minnesota Criminal Defense Attorneys at Martine Law Today

If you or a loved one are facing criminal charges in Minnesota, Martine Law is here to help.

With extensive knowledge of Minnesota’s criminal laws, our attorneys meticulously review police reports and other evidence to identify flaws in the prosecution’s case. Whether filing motions to dismiss, suppress evidence, or expose investigative errors, we prioritize your defense every step of the way.

Can an Incorrect Police Report Get Criminal Charges Dropped?