A legal first in Minnesota

(KNOX) – For the first time, Minnesota’s Conviction Review Unit is recommending full exoneration of an incarcerated person.
It’s the second time the CRU has based its relief on a wrongful conviction.
The CRU recommends the 2001 conviction of Brian Pippitt for first-degree murder in Aitkin County be vacated. Pippitt was found guilty for the death of 84-year-old Evelyn Malin in February 1998. The board ruled the testimony provided by two witnesses never should have been presented to the jury.
Minnesotans who claim they have been wrongly convicted of a crime may apply to the CRU to have their convictions reviewed, as Mr. Pippitt did. An application to the CRU is not a guarantee of review. The CRU screens all applications with an unbiased eye to determine whether there are plausible claims of a wrongful conviction.