Judge orders feds to turn over evidence in Good killing



A federal judge in St. Paul on Thursday gave the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security until May 1 to provide the court with evidence related to the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Good. The decision does not make the material public.

The order from U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Bryan stems from the case of Roberto Muñoz-Guatemala, an undocumented immigrant whom a jury convicted of using his vehicle to drag and injure ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Bloomington on June 17, 2025.

Immigration authorities had sought to deport Muñoz-Guatemala, 40, after he pleaded guilty in 2023 to repeatedly sexually assaulting his 16-year-old stepdaughter. In a criminal complaint affidavit, federal prosecutors said that local authorities did not honor an immigration detainer request for Muñoz-Guatemala.

Prosecutors said that Muñoz-Guatemala dragged the agent about 100 yards in the course of about 12 seconds. Ross suffered a “substantial wound” on his right arm that required dozens of stitches.

Nearly seven months later, Ross killed protester Renee Good in Minneapolis. Trump Administration officials have claimed that Ross fired in self-defense, but video shows Good turning her vehicle as she drives away from him.

Over prosecutors' objections, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Bryan ordered the government to turn over unredacted investigative materials from the Good shooting as well as Ross' personnel file to a magistrate judge. The magistrate judge is expected to review the evidence to determine if Muñoz-Guatemala can use any of it for his defense at sentencing or to request a new trial. Muñoz-Guatemala is being held in the Sherburne County Jail.

In a February motion to request the evidence, defense attorney Eric Newmark writes that any interview that investigators may have conducted with Ross after the Good killing “could have bearing on Ross’ motive or intent when he approached [Muñoz-Guatemala’s] vehicle and escalated the situation using force and could potentially form the basis for a new trial.”

In his order, Bryan notes that the U.S. Sentencing Commission Guidelines provide that if a “victim’s wrongful conduct contributed significantly to provoking the offense behavior,” a defendant could be eligible for a reduced sentence.

In March, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued the federal government in an effort to force the Trump Administration to share evidence with state investigators related to the killings of Good and Alex Pretti, and the nonfatal shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis.



Source link

Leave a Reply

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get our latest articles delivered straight to your inbox. No spam, we promise.

Recent Reviews



A Republican lawmaker charged in an alcohol-related driving offense won’t have to appear in court again until after the Legislature adjourns for the year.

A June 10 arraignment hearing is set for Rep. Elliott Engen, a Lino Lakes Republican who faces three misdemeanor charges following an arrest early Friday. He was stopped for speeding and other infractions in White Bear Lake; officers detected alcohol and he later tested well above the legal limit for driving, according to a citation.

Engen has apologized for a lapse in judgment; he promised to learn from his actions and “do better.” Aside from being a second-term legislator, he is also a candidate for state auditor.

A second lawmaker, GOP Rep. Walter Hudson, was in Engen’s truck at the time of the stop and an open bottle of alcohol was found in a rear seat. Hudson, a second-term legislator from Albertville, was in possession of a permitted handgun, which could cause him legal problems if he is determined to have been intoxicated.

Police officers wrote in their report that Hudson disclosed he had the gun as the truck was being searched. The report said police took the firearm for safekeeping and said he could pick it up at a later time, which Hudson agreed to.

“I regret the poor decisions that were made during this incident, and commend the White Bear Police Department for their professional response,” Hudson said in a written statement. “I’m grateful that no harm was done to ourselves and others.”

Two lawmakers stand and look around
Rep. Walter Hudson, R-Albertville, (center) and Rep. Bidal Duran, R-Bemidji, (right) join other Republican lawmakers gather in the House chambers Jan. 27, 2025.
Tim Evans for MPR News file

A third, unidentified passenger was in the truck as well, according to police. Hudson and that person were transferred to the police department until they could arrange rides.

The Minnesota lawmakers had been at the Capitol late into the evening Thursday as the House debated procedural motions on gun, immigration and social media legislation. The motions failed on 67-67 votes.

There is no indication yet that either Hudson nor Engen had been drinking on Capitol grounds, which would be a violation of a House rule against consumption of alcohol or drugs in spaces under that chamber’s control.

According to a White Bear Lake Police report, Engen initially said he had not been drinking when asked by the police officer who pulled him over — “nothing at all,” he is quoted as saying. He performed a field sobriety test, which the report says showed signs of impairment.

Engen gave a preliminary breath sample there, the report says, which estimated a 0.142 blood alcohol level. After he was taken by squad car to the police department “Engen spontaneously stated, ‘Sir, I had a drink three hours ago,’” the report says.

He told the Minnesota Star Tribune in an interview Monday that he had also consumed alcohol in the afternoon on Thursday as well.

Engen is charged with two impaired driving offenses and speeding. White Bear Lake police also said he was driving a vehicle with expired registration and an inoperable headlight.

Engen has not returned calls from MPR News. A court docket lists a “notice of appearance” on Tuesday.

He is being represented in the criminal case by Chris Madel, an Excelsior attorney who waged a brief Republican campaign for governor.



Source link