The ruling, handed down late last month by Hennepin County Judge Sarah West, comes as Minnesota is engulfed in a series of major welfare and human services fraud scandals that have drawn national attention and shaken confidence in the state’s oversight systems.
West’s decision has triggered broader doubts about Minnesota’s resolve to prosecute white-collar and welfare fraud at a time when billions in public funds could be vulnerable.
JaneAnne Murray, a University of Minnesota law professor who studies criminal procedure, said she was surprised by the decision.
"It is highly unusual for a judge to reject a jury’s verdict in any case, much less a white-collar one, where issues of intent will almost always be circumstantial," Murray told Fox News Digital. Read more and see video here.
