Hennepin Co. Sheriff Hutchinson's Peace Officer License To Go Before Judge In September
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The future of Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson's peace officer license will go before a judge in September.
In December, the embattled sheriff pleaded guilty to DWI following a high-speed rollover crash near Alexandria. He was sentenced to probation and ordered to pay a $610 fine. He also agreed to pay the county $47,711.69 for the squad vehicle wrecked in the crash.
Facing mounting calls to resign, Hutchinson said he will not seek reelection in November, but will serve out the rest of his term. Meanwhile, state regulators are still weighing whether or not to suspend his peace officer license.
On Tuesday, the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) said Administrative Law Judge Ann O'Reilly will hold an evidentiary hearing at the OAH on this matter on Sept. 14 and Sept. 15.
According to the OAH's notice and order for the hearing, Hutchinson failed to self-report the incident to the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) board, which is required. He also declined to speak with the Minnesota State Patrol.
The POST board has suspended or revoked the licenses of 58 officers over the last five years, including Derek Chauvin, who was convicted in connection with George Floyd's death in 2020.
According to a director with the POST board, any peace officer whose license is suspended may not practice law enforcement in the state while the license is suspended. That includes the power to arrest someone, enforcement of law, authorization of use of force and other policing situations. However, there may be other duties the elected sheriff can perform that is not affected by the status of the peace officer license, such as oversight of the county jail.