State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Ryan Charles Rooney, Appellant

Summary

The Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed the district court’s rulings, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in excluding alternative‑perpetrator evidence and that the defendant’s hospital statements were voluntarily made and therefore admissible. The Court applied the Hawkins two‑step test for alternative‑perpetrator evidence and a totality‑of‑the‑circumstances analysis for voluntariness, finding no reversible error.