Moriarty Defends Policy on Gun Possession Cases Found During Minor Traffic Stops
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty is defending her office's policy that declines prosecution for certain offenses, including illegal gun possession, discovered during minor traffic stops. Law enforcement leaders argue this policy poses public safety risks by allowing individuals with firearms…
Minneapolis St. Paul, MN, October 16, 2026 —
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty is defending her office’s policy of declining prosecution for certain offenses discovered during minor traffic stops. The policy includes cases involving illegal gun possession, according to the available summary of the dispute.
Law enforcement leaders have criticized the approach, arguing that it creates public safety risks by allowing people found with firearms to avoid charges. The summary does not identify which leaders made the criticism, specify how many cases are affected or provide examples of incidents connected to the policy.
Moriarty has offered a different rationale. She contends that the policy is intended to reduce racial disparities in policing and build community trust. The summary does not provide further detail about how the office assesses those disparities or how it determines which offenses discovered during minor traffic stops will not be prosecuted.
The disagreement reflects competing concerns described by the two sides: law enforcement leaders’ stated concern about public safety and Moriarty’s stated goals of addressing disparities and fostering trust. The available information does not include direct quotations from Moriarty or the law enforcement leaders, so their positions are presented here without quotation marks.
No date for the policy, its implementation, or the public dispute was provided. The summary also does not state whether the policy applies to all illegal gun possession cases discovered during minor stops, whether exceptions exist, or whether any change to the policy is under consideration. Those details were not provided, and the scope of the policy cannot be determined from the information available.
Story summarized from the original created by Renee Cooper on kstp.com, see more information here.
