Minnesota Agencies

The task force on aiding and abetting felony murder was initially established to collect and analyze data on the charging, convicting, and sentencing of people for aiding and abetting felony murder; assess whether current laws and practices promote public safety and equity in sentencing; and make recommendations to the legislature. On or before January 15, 2022, the task force was required to submit a report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the house of representatives and senate committees and divisions with jurisdiction over criminal sentencing on the findings and recommendations of the task force.

2023 Minn. Laws Chap. 52 revives the task force and expands the focus of the task force's duties and work beyond the intersection of felony murder and aiding and abetting liability for felony murder to more generally apply to the broader issues regarding the state's felony murder doctrine and aiding and abetting liability schemes discussed in "Task Force on Aiding and Abetting Felony Murder," Report to the Minnesota Legislature, dated February 1, 2022.

Before January 15, 2024, the task force shall submit a report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the house of representatives and senate committees and divisions with jurisdiction over crime and sentencing on the findings and recommendations of the task force.

The commissioner of corrections shall convene the first meeting of the task force no later than August 1, 2021, and shall provide meeting space and administrative assistance as necessary for the task force to conduct its work. The task force shall meet at least monthly or upon the call of its chair. The task force shall meet sufficiently enough to accomplish its tasks. Meetings of the task force are subject to Minnesota Statutes, chapter 13D.

The task force was reestablished in the 2023 legislative session, with an effective date of August 1, 2023.  The task force expires January 16, 2024, or the day after submitting its final report, whichever is earlier.

The task force consists of the following members:

• the commissioner of corrections or a designee; 
• the executive director of the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission or a designee; 
• the state public defender or a designee; 
• the statewide coordinator of the Violent Crime Coordinating Council or a designee; 
• one defense attorney, appointed by the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; 
• two county attorneys, one from a county within the seven-county metropolitan area and the other from outside the seven-county metropolitan area, appointed by the Minnesota County Attorneys Association; 
• a peace officer familiar with homicide investigations, preferably felony murder, appointed jointly by the Minnesota Sheriffs' Association, and the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association; 
• one member representing a victims' rights organization, appointed by the senate majority leader; 
• one member of a statewide civil rights organization, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 
• one impacted person who is directly related to a person who has been convicted of felony murder, appointed by the governor;
• and one person with expertise regarding the laws and practices of other states relating to aiding and abetting felony murder, appointed by the governor.