Mon May 05 03:10:00 UTC 2025: ## DOJ Investigates Minnesota County’s Plea Deal Policy Over Racial Considerations
**Minneapolis, MN –** The Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a federal investigation into Hennepin County’s prosecutor’s office over a new policy advising staff to consider racial disparities in plea negotiations. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon announced the investigation Saturday, citing concerns that the policy may illegally incorporate race into prosecutorial decisions.
The policy memo, issued earlier this week, instructs prosecutors to be mindful of both racial identity and age when considering plea deals and sentencing, stating that while these factors shouldn’t be controlling, they should be part of the overall analysis to address racial disparities. The memo highlights the negative community impact of such disparities.
The DOJ investigation, detailed in a letter to the Hennepin County Attorney’s office, will determine whether the policy creates “a pattern or practice of depriving persons of rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States.” The inquiry comes amidst significant internal upheaval within the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, with numerous resignations in recent weeks.
While advocates for sentencing reform argue that the policy aims to address existing racial disparities in the criminal justice system, the DOJ investigation will examine whether the policy itself violates federal law by explicitly considering race in plea bargaining. The outcome of this investigation will have significant implications for prosecutorial practices nationwide.
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