The Minnesota Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision and ruled in favor of Alpha News in their request for the release of body- and dash-camera footage from the arrest of Senator Nicole Mitchell in April 2024. The Tuesday, April 7 ruling clarifies that releasing the footage would help Minnesotans hold elected officials accountable, which is a benefit to the public that the district court should have considered. 

The Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC), on behalf of Alpha News, asked the Becker County District Court to authorize the release of the footage last year after Senator Mitchell made public statements which appeared to contradict the sworn allegations in the criminal complaint filed against her and important public figures, including Governor Tim Walz, called for answers about what happened to come “very quickly.” Minnesota Statutes, section 13.82, subdivision 7, permits a district court to release body- and dash-camera footage if the public benefit of disclosure outweighs the harm to the public or the person identified in the data. After an initial denial from the district court, the Minnesota Court of Appeals reversed, requiring the lower court to evaluate Alpha News’s request under the correct legal standard. 

“The District Court got it wrong by disregarding the important public benefit Alpha News seeks to provide,” said Allie Howell, Trial and Appellate Counsel at UMLC. “Minnesotans cannot hold their elected officials accountable without the information necessary to evaluate their actions. We look forward to continuing this fight for transparency.” 

This case will now return to the district court for further proceedings. UMLC is grateful to co-counsel Ryan Wilson for his excellent assistance in this appeal. UMLC and Wilson remain committed to fighting for the release of this data so Minnesotans can have a more complete picture of what happened during Senator Mitchell’s arrest. 

The Upper Midwest Law Center is a non-profit public interest law firm committed to upholding constitutional rights and the rule of law. UMLC advocates for the protection of individual liberties and the preservation of constitutional principles through strategic litigation and advocacy efforts.