MN-HD2A: Judge says Minnesota GOP House candidate lied on search warrant as Hubbard County sheriff's deputy

A Republican candidate for a state House seat who is running on his experience in law enforcement was excoriated by a state judge last fall for “intentionally or recklessly mischaracterizing the truth” on a pair of affidavits in a felony drug case.

House candidate Bidal Duran was a deputy with the Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office last year, when he requested permission to search the cell phones of two men arrested during a traffic stop that turned up a large quantity of meth and thousands in cash.

Duran first said the suspects were pulled over in a routine speed trap on a quiet county road but later said he was tipped off by a confidential informant, leading the judge to deny the search warrant and accuse him of “lying” about the existence of the informant.

“The conduct of Agent Duran could be insidious and has hopefully not spread to other officers in the Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office,” Minnesota Ninth District Court Judge Eric Schieferdecker warned in an Oct. 2 judgment.

The denial led to the drug case falling apart, and Duran was investigated for misconduct after the judge’s order. The disciplinary investigation ultimately cleared Duran of violating department policy, but details of the investigation raised questions about Duran’s thoroughness and work-ethic as a law enforcement officer.



https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/09/24/judge-says-minnesota-gop-house-candidate-lied-on-search-warrants-as-hubbard-county-sheriffs-deputy/