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**Minneapolis Defense Attorney Outraged by Light Charge in Near-Fatal Stabbing**
**Minneapolis, MN** – Veteran defense attorney Brian Karalus is speaking out against what he calls a lenient approach to violent crime by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, specifically citing a case where a suspect accused of a brutal stabbing was initially charged with only second-degree assault.
Karalus, a long-time Minneapolis resident and defense attorney, explained in a podcast with Liz Collin, that his friend, Tony Dehn, was the victim of a near-fatal knife attack in the city’s North Loop earlier this year. Dehn suffered extensive injuries to his face and neck after allegedly being attacked with a knife by Camron Wayne Draper. According to Dehn, the attack was so severe that he feared for his life.
Despite the seriousness of the injuries, Draper was initially charged with second-degree assault and released on bail. Karalus, acting as a representative for his friend, was stunned by the decision, believing the attack constituted attempted murder.
“I was flabbergasted. I could not believe they charged him with second-degree assault. This looked to me like an attempted murder, like unquestionably an attempted murder,” Karalus said.
Karalus successfully advocated for the charge to be amended to first-degree assault, but the experience left him deeply concerned about the direction of criminal justice in Hennepin County. He argues that releasing Draper on bail contributes to a sense of lawlessness and endangers the community. Draper was recently arrested again on additional charges.
Alpha News reached out to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for comment on the case and the initial charging decision but did not receive a response. The incident comes amid growing criticism of Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s policies, including a recent decision to limit prosecutions for traffic violations.
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