Minneapolis Criminal Lawyer

Attorney Bruce Rivers drafted a Pardon Petition to the President of the United States asking to Grant Clemency of a client of Mr. Bruce Rivers.

After four long years, Rivers Law Firm, P.A. received notice that On March 24, 2008, George W. Bush GRANTED Attorney Bruce Rivers client a Full and Unconditional Pardon for his prior federal conviction.

Anderson was charged with DWI on July of 2005. The state argued at trial that Mr. Anderson was driving and that he rolled his vehicle and left the scene where he was later arrested and charged with DWI.

Attorney Bruce Rivers argued that Mr. Anderson was not driving the vehicle and that his friend was driving the vehicle when they lost control. Mr. Anderson left the scene only to get help.

Mr. Anderson was found NOT GUILTY of the DWI.

Not Guilty Verdict- Assault in the Second Degree- Hennepin County

Johnson was charged with second degree assault on 2003 against Minneapolis Police Officers.

The State argued that Mr. Johnson answered his door with a riffle in his hand pointing the gun at police officers shortly after his son answered the door with a gun showing in his pants at which time police fired shots.

Attorney Bruce Rivers argued that the police never knocked and identified themselves as Police Officers. Mr. Bruce Rivers also argued that the officers were hiding in Mr. Johnson’s yard. Mr. Johnson thought it was neighborhood kids who just fired shots at Mr. Johnson’s son. Mr. Johnson took his riffle and put it in the air yelling Aget out of here.

The jury deliberated and found Mr. Johnson NOT GUILTY of Assault in the Second Degree.

Not Guilty Verdict- Murder in the Second Degree- Ramsey County

Anderson was charged with Second Degree Murder on February 20, 2004 after he was accused of giving his intoxicated cousin a gun and telling him to go into Arnellia’s bar in St. Paul and air the place out.

The State argued that the defendant Anderson got upset when his cousin and friend were knocked down to the floor during a brief fight and were then kicked out of the bar. Coleman testified that Anderson went to his humvee and pulled a gun out, instructing Coleman to Aair the place out which resulted in Coleman killing a bystander inside the bar.

Attorney Bruce Rivers argued that Coleman was drunk and out of control and acting on his own. Attorney Bruce Rivers told jurors that several witnesses testified that Anderson was acting as a peacemaker after the fight and he was not upset. Attorney Bruce Rivers relied on time-stamped surveillance footage from multiple cameras at the bar and argued that there wasn’t enough time for Anderson to go to his truck and hand off the gun to Colman.

The trial took approximately one week and the jury ACQUITTED Anderson after six hours of deliberation.

Not Guilty Verdict- Murder in the Second Degree- Hennepin County

Johnson was charged with Second Degree Murder on June 11, 2009 after him and another male struggled over a handgun near the intersection of 52nd Av. N. and N. 6th St. in Minneapolis.

The State tried to convince the jury that this was a drug deal gone bad; However, Attorney Bruce Rivers argued that the decedent was the one who pulled out the gun first and that is when the struggle took place.

The trial took approximately one week and the jury deliberated for an hour before they came back with their NOT GUILTY verdict.

Hennepin County District Court Judge Grants Attorney Bruce Rivers Motion for Acquittal on 1st Degree and 2 Degree murder charges and The Minnesota Supreme Court Reversed the 2nd Degree Manslaughter Conviction.

The case involved a love triangle involving Back, Super, and the murder victim, Holliday. Super was the gunman who murdered Holliday at his home early New Year’s Day, 2007. Back, who at one time had dated both Super and Holliday, was present at the time of the murder.

Back was represented by attorney Bruce Rivers. During the trial, the State moved to dismiss the first-degree premeditated murder charge, and the district court GRANTED Mr. Bruce Rivers motion for acquittal on the first-degree domestic abuse murder charge and the second-degree intentional murder charge. The court also granted the State’s motion to amend its complaint to include the lesser-included offense of second-degree manslaughter, Minn.Stat. ‘ 609.205(1). The jury subsequently found Back guilty of second-degree manslaughter based on culpable negligence.

Back filed an appeal after being found guilty and on December 10, 2009, Appellant’s second degree manslaughter conviction was REVERSED by the Supreme Court on grounds that the evidence used to convict was insufficient.