Selected matters

Case results shaped by preparation, evidence, and the law.

Featured public matter

Federal constitutional litigationU.S. District Court and Eighth Circuit

Worth v. Jacobson

Minnesota's permit-to-carry age restriction was held unconstitutional.

Blair W. Nelson served as local counsel alongside Cooper & Kirk for individual young adults, the Second Amendment Foundation, the Firearms Policy Coalition, and the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus in a federal challenge to Minnesota's prohibition on permits to carry for adults ages 18 to 20. The case was originally filed as Worth v. Harrington.

OutcomeApplying the U.S. Supreme Court's Bruen framework, the federal courts held the age restriction in Minnesota Statute § 624.714 unconstitutional. On April 21, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Minnesota's petition for review, leaving the lower-court rulings in place and allowing qualified Minnesotans ages 18 to 20 to apply for and receive permits to carry.

View the U.S. Supreme Court docket

Minnesota criminal defense

Selected case results.

Client initials are abbreviated. Each summary includes the complete disposition or current status reflected in the firm's supplied records, including any charge or conviction that remained.

Felony assault trialClearwater CountyState of Minnesota v. K.R.A.

A jury returned a not-guilty verdict on the felony assault charge.

The client faced a felony assault allegation and several related charges. After the court rejected a proposed guilty plea, Blair took the felony charge to trial. The jury returned a not-guilty verdict after approximately 15 minutes of deliberation.

OutcomeThe related felony second-degree burglary and trespass charges were dismissed. A misdemeanor conviction for violating a harassment restraining order remained. The matter concluded without a felony conviction.

DWI defenseHubbard CountyState of Minnesota v. J.W.L.

A gross-misdemeanor cannabis DWI charge was dismissed.

The client faced a second-offense cannabis DWI allegation and a mandatory minimum 30-day jail sentence if convicted. After Blair cross-examined the investigating officer, the State offered to reduce the case to careless driving.

OutcomeThe gross-misdemeanor DWI charge was dismissed. The matter was resolved with misdemeanor convictions for careless driving and possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle.

Domestic-assault defensePolk CountyState of Minnesota v. C.R.C.

Felony allegations were reduced to misdemeanor offenses.

The client faced felony domestic-assault and threats-of-violence charges. Following jury selection, Blair secured a resolution reducing the felony allegations.

OutcomeThe matter was resolved with misdemeanor offenses involving a threat and a domestic-abuse no-contact-order violation. The case concluded without a felony conviction.

Search and seizure litigationHubbard CountyState of Minnesota v. S.M.K.

Tracking-warrant evidence was excluded and the drug charges were dismissed.

The client faced first-degree controlled-substance charges involving approximately one pound of methamphetamine and one pound of cannabis. Blair challenged the vehicle-tracking warrant, arguing that its application did not establish sufficient probable cause.

OutcomeThe court excluded all evidence obtained as a result of the warrant. The controlled-substance charges were then dismissed.

Self-defense trialBecker CountyState of Minnesota v. W.C.M.

A jury acquitted the client of first-degree manslaughter.

The client was originally accused of murder. After the homicide charge was amended to first-degree manslaughter, Blair presented a self-defense case at trial.

OutcomeThe jury returned a not-guilty verdict on the manslaughter charge. Separate convictions for failure to render aid and carrying a pistol without a permit remained.

Firearm constitutional challengeMinnesota district courtState of Minnesota v. M.W.A.

Minnesota's firearm-serialization statute was challenged on constitutional and probable-cause grounds.

The client, a Minnesota gun owner, faced two felony charges under Minnesota Statute § 609.667 for possessing privately manufactured firearms without serial numbers. Blair filed three motions seeking dismissal, arguing that probable cause was lacking, that the statute is unconstitutionally vague under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, and that an earlier ruling improperly shifted the burden to the defense on the Second Amendment challenge.

StatusThe district court denied the motions and allowed the charges to proceed toward trial. The case raised significant questions about homemade firearms, pre-1968 unserialized firearms, the relationship between state and federal gun laws, and the constitutional limits of Minnesota's firearm-serialization statute.

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