**JUVENILES, CRIMES,**  **PHOTOS: Minn.**  **Stat §**  **260.16 1,**  **subd. 3(a)**  **only prohibits**  **peace officers**  **from taking**  **photos of** **children in**  **custody and**  **does not**  **prohibit news media.**  **SHERIFFS, POLICE,**  **JURISDICTION: County**  **sheriffs have**  **jurisdiction to**  **investigate crimes**  **anywhere in**  **their county,**  **even in**  **cities with**  **established police**  **forces. 2681**  **390a"6 (er.**  **ref. 494a,**  **785d) October**  **14, 1997** 
**Mr. Todd**  **S. Webb**  **Clay County Attorney**  **Clay County**  **Courthouse P.O.**  **Box 280**  **807 North**  **11th Street**  **Moorhead, MN**  **56561 "0280**  **Re: Request**  **for Opinions**  **Dear Mr.**  **Webb:**
**In your**  **letter to**  **the Office**  **of the**  **Attorney General,**  **you present**  **substantially the**  **following questions:**  

### QUESTION**NO, J**  **Does Minn.**  **Stat. §**  **260.161, subd.**  **3(a) prohibit**  **only peace**  **officers from**  **taking photographs**  **of a**  **child taken into**  **state custody,**  **or does**  **it also**  **apply to**  **prohibit the**  **media from**  **taking photographs**  **of a** **juvenile taken**  **into state**  **custody?** 

### OPINION **Minn. Stat.**  **260.161, subd.**  **3(a) provides**  **that "no**  **photographs of**  **a child**  **taken into**  **custody may**  **be taken**  **without the**  **consent of** **the juvenile**  **court . . . .**  **Any person**  **violating any of**  **the provisions**  **of this**  **subdivision shall**  **be guilty**  **of a**  **misdemeanor." The**  **quoted language,**  **taken in**  **isolation, would**  **seem to**  **constitute a**  **prohibition directed**  **to all**  **persons. However,**  **the context**  **in which**  **the language**  **appears indicates**  **that a**  **narrower interpretation**  **is intended.** **Mr. Todd**  **S. Webb**  **Page 2** 

**First the**  **heading of**  **subdivision 3** **is "Peace**  **Officer Records**  **of Children."**  **While such**  **headings are not**  **part of** **the statute** **, 1**  **they may**  **nonetheless be**  **taken into**  **account in**  **determining legislative**  **intent. See**  **�'** 

### Hyland **v ,**  

### Metropolitan **Airports Comm'n**  **., 538**  **N.W.2d 717** **(Minn. Ct.**  **App. 1995).**  **Furthermore, the**  **remainder of** **this language**  **in subdivision**  **3(a )**  **expressly refers**  **to Minn.**  **Stat. §**  **3C.08 subd.** **3 (1996)**  **"peace officers**  **records." It**  **does not**  **seem likely**  **that the**  **legislature would**  **place a** **prohibition applicable**  **to the**  **general public**  **in the**  **middle of** **a paragraph**  **otherwise related only**  **to governmental**  **officials. Second,**  **broad application**  **of the**  **prohibition to**  **private persons,**  **including news**  **media, could**  **give rise**  **to constitutional**  **objections. The**  **United States**  **Supreme Court**  **was confronted**  **with a**  **simil ar**  **statute in** 

### Smi**th v** **,**

### Daily**M ail** **Publishin2 Co** **,, 44** **3 U** **. S** **. 97,**  **99 S.**  **Ct. 2667** **(1979). At**  **issue in**  **Smith was a**  **state statute**  **which provided:**  **[N]or shall**  **the name**  **of any**  **child, in** **connection with**  **any proceedings**  **under this**  **chapter, be**  **published in**  **any newspaper** **without a** **written order of** **the court**  **.... Id..**  **at 2668.**  **Violation of** **this statute**  **was a misdemeanor.**  **Id.. The**  **Supreme Court**  **held that**  **this statute**  **violated the**  **First and**  **Fourteenth Amendments**  **to the**  **United States**  **Constitution. 2**  **The court**  **stated that**  **"if a**  **[media source] lawfully**  **obtains truthful information**  **about a**  **matter of public** 
**. significance**  **then state**  **officials may**  **not constitutionally**  **punish publication**  **of the**  **information, absent a**  **need to**  **further a**  **state interest**  **of the**  **highest order."**  

## Id.. **at 2 6** **71. �**  **aim,** 

### Minneapolis **Star and**  **Tribune Co,**  **v, Schmidt**  **360 N.W.2** **d 433,**  **435 (Minn.**  **Ct. App.**  **1985) (** **quoting Smith).**  **In Smith,**  **the state**  **attempted to**  **convince the**  **Court that**  **their statute**  **did further** 
**a state**  **interest of** **the highest**  **order -**  **rehabilitation of**  **the juvenile**  **offender through**  **protection of**  **the offender's**  **anonymity. The**  **Court was**  **unpersuaded by**  **the state's**  **rationale and**  **stated that,** 
**1 Minn.**  **Stat. §**  **3C.08 subd.3** **(1996). 2**  **The court**  **did not specify**  **upon which**  **of two**  **alternative grounds**  **it was**  **reviewing the**  **case, because**  **"[w]hether we**  **view the**  **statute as**  **a prior**  **restraint or**  **as a penal**  **sanction for**  **publishing lawfully**  **obtained, truthful**  **information is**  **not dispositive**  **because even**  **the latter**  **action requires**  **the highest**  **form of**  **state interest**  **to sustain**  **its validity."**  **Id.. at**  **2670**

**. Mr.**  **Todd S.**  **Webb Page**  **3**
**"[i]f the**  **information is**  **lawfully obtained,**  **as it**  **was here,**  **the state**  **may not**  **punish its**  **publication except**  **when necessary**  **to further**  **an interest**  **more substantial**  **than is**  **present here."**  

### Smith**, 99**  **S.Ct. at 2671.**  **This decision**  **followed**

### Oklahoma Publishini**Co, v** **.** 

### District **Court. 430**  **U .** **S .**  **30 8,**  **9 7**  

## s. **Ct. 1045**  **(1977). In**  

### Okla **h o** **ma a**  **photographer took**  **the picture**  **of a**  **juvenile defendant**  **as he** 
**was being**  **transported from**  **the courthouse**  **to a**  **� ehicle.**  **Id. at**  **309. The**  **trial court**  **enjoined the**  **media from**  **publishing either**  **this picture**  **or the**  **defendant's name, which was**  **obtained by**  **media**
**sources attending**  **the court**  **hearing. Id..**  **Toe Supreme**  **Court reversed**  **the district**  **court's order,**  **holding that**  **the district**  **court had**  **abridged the**  **freedom of**  **the press,**  **in violation**  **of the**  **First and**  **Fourteenth Amendments.**  **Id.. at**  **311-12. In**  **support of** **this decision,**  **the court**  **quoted** 

### C**rai� v,**  **Harney. 331**  **U.S. 367,**  **374 (1947)**  **("Those who**  **see and**  **hear what transpired**  **[in the**  **courtroom]**
**can report**  **it with**  **impunity" (alteration in**  **original)). Id..** **at 311.**  **Minnesota courts**  **recognize this**  **constitutional limitation. In**  **striking down**  **a juvenile** 
**c ourt**  **order which**  **prohibited the**  **media from**  **publishing any**  **information about**  **a pending**  **juvenile court**  **proceeding, the**  **Court of** **Appeals stated:**  **The possibility**  **that one** **child's anxiety**  **may increase**  **because of** **media coverage**  **of this**  **proceeding does**  **not rise**  **to the**  **level of** **a compelling**  **state interest** **justifying a**  **restraint on**  **the publication**  **of information**  **obtained from**  **public records**  **and independent**  **sources.** 

### S

**chm i** **d**

**t ,**  **360 N.W.2d**  **at 435.**  **The** 

### S**chm i** **d t**  **court explained**  **that, "[o]nce**  **truthful information**  **is publicly**  **revealed or**  **in the**  **public domain,**  **a court**  **may not**  **'constitutionally restrain**  **its dissemination."'**  **Id.. (quoting** 

### Smilh, **443 U.S.**  **at 103,**  **99 S.**  **Ct. at**  **2671). It**  **thus appears**  **that if** **the Minnesota**  **statute is**  **interpreted to**  **apply to**  **third parties**  **-- such** 
**as news**  **media -** **- and**  **to prevent**  **these third**  **parties from**  **photographing juveniles,**  **it may**  **potentially violate**  **the First**  **and Fourteenth**  **Amendments to**  **the United**  **States Constitution.**  **In construing**  **statutes, however,**  **we are**  **to presume**  **that "[t]he legislature**  **does not**  **intend to**  **violate the**  **constitution of**  **the United**  **States or**  **of this**  **state[.]" Minn.**  **Stat. §645.17(1).**  **For the** **Mr. Todd**  **S. Webb**  **Page 4** 
**foregoing reasons**  **we do**  **not construe**  **section 260.161** **, subd.**  **3(a) to**  **prevent news media**  **from photographing**  **and publishing**  **the photographs**  **of juveniles**  **obtained while**  **the juvenile**  **is "in**  **the public**  **domain," nor**  **to punish those**  **who disseminate**  **such a**  **photograph. Rather,**  **the statute**  **should be**  **applied to**  **law enforcement**  **personnel only.**  **QUESTIQN NQ, 2 Does**  **the County**  **Sheriff have**  **any jurisdictional**  **limitswhen investigating**  **criminal conduct**  **occurring in**  **a municipality**  **in the**  **Sheriff's county**  **which employs**  **its own**  **police force?**  

### QPINIQN
**The county**  **sheriff is**  **the chief**  **law enforcement**  **officer for the**  **county. Minn.**  **Stat. §**  **387.03 ("The**  **sheriff shall**  **keep and**  **preserve the**  **peace of** **his county").**  **"A sheriff** **has a**  **general responsibility**  **for enforcing**  **the criminal**  **laws throughout**  **his county."**  **Op. Atty.**  **Gen., 733,**  **July 14,**  **1947; In**  **re Olson** **, 211**  **Minn. 114,**  **300 N.W.**  **398 (1941)**  **("The sheriff**  **as chief**  **peace officer**  **of his**  **county is**  **responsible both**  **by common**  **and statutory**  **law to**  **keep and**  **preserve peace**  **and good**  **order within**  **his county").**  **Therefore, within**  **the bounds**  **of the**  **county, the**  **sheriff is**  **responsible for**  **ensuri ng**  **the criminal**  **laws are**  **enforced and**  **the peace**  **is maintained**  **-- regardless**  **of any**  **municipal borders**  **within the**  **county and**  **regardless of** **whether any**  **of these**  **municipalities employ**  **independent police**  **forces. Minn.**  **Stat §**  **436.05, subd.**  **1 provides**  **that "[a]ny**  **home rule**  **charter or**  **statutory city,**  **town or**  **the sheriff**  **of any**  **county may**  **contract for**  **the furnishing**  **of police**  **service to**  **any other**  **home rule**  **charter or**  **statutory city**  **or town**  **... . "**  **This statute**  **does not**  **imply that,**  **in order**  **to enforce**  **criminal laws**  **in a**  **municipality within**  **its own**  **county, a**  **sheriff must have**  **contractual authority**  **to do**  **so. Rather,**  **this section**  **refers to**  **a sheriff** **contracting with**  **municipalities outside**  **of its**  **own county.**  **For within**  **its own**  **county, the**  **sheriff is**  **the chief**  **law enforcement**  **officer with**  **a non-delegable**  **duty to**  **enforce the**  **laws and**  **"preserve the**  **peace of** **his county"** **; this**  **statute Mr.**  **Todd S.**  **Webb Page5** 
**explicitly does**  **not relieve**  **the sheriff**  **"of any**  **duties imposed**  **by law."**  **Minn. Stat.**  **§§ 387.03,**  **subd. l;**  **436.05, subd.**  **5. The**  **County Sheriff** **therefore has**  **the authority**  **to investigate**  **criminal matters**  **within the**  **borders of** **a municipality**  **employing an**  **independent police**  **force. Very**  **truly yours,**  **HUBERT H.**  **HUMPHREY III**  **Attorney General PAUL**  **R. KEMPAINEN**  **Assistant Attorney**  **General** 

### WILLIAM**F. KLUMPP, JR.**  **Assistant Attorney**  **General**

**AG:36697vl**