Accountability file

Record & events

• charge: In 2002, Klobuchar spearheaded an effort that resulted in state laws being altered to allow felony charges to be brought against repeat drunk driving offenders. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• charge: In 2003, Klobuchar dealt with one of her highest-profile cases when the Hennepin County Attorney's Office brought several charges against former professional baseball player Kirby Puckett related to an alleged sex crime. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• charge: Puckett was acquitted by a jury of all charges brought against him. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• disposition: Klobuchar had won election on the slogan "More Trials, More Convictions". (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• disposition: She pursued heavier sentencing and less favorable plea deals, and sought to bring more cases to trial. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• disposition: By the end of her first year, she had significantly increased the number of cases brought and convictions secured. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• charge: At the time, it was rare in the United States for prosecutors to pursue prosecution on such charges. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• charge: Klobuchar also brought felony charges against a number of men for failure to pay child support. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• disposition: Klobuchar pursued tougher sentencing in hopes of deterring crime. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• disposition: For some smaller offenses, such as vandalism, she regularly sought sentences that exceeded the recommended duration. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• disposition: For property crime offenders who had five prior convictions, Klobuchar's office similarly pursued longer sentences than had been recommended. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• disposition: In 2000, a successful appeal by Klobuchar lengthened by two days a sentence that a judge gave an immigrant defendant, which placed the defendant at a greatly increased risk of deportation. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• disposition: The judge had originally imposed a sentence of 364 days. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• disposition: A sentence of 365 days or greater was likely to lead to the defendant's deportation, and the two days Klobuchar added placed the defendant over that threshold. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• disposition: An analysis by the Vera Institute of Justice found that during Klobuchar's tenure, there was a 20% increase in the number of prison inmates in Hennepin County, which the analysis attributed to the harsher sentences Klobuchar sought. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• disposition: Due to these circumstances, his sentence was commuted by the Minnesota Board of Pardons in December 2020. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• charge: Some of these deaths resulted in public controversy, but Klobuchar did not bring any charges. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• charge: As was common practice at the time, especially in Minnesota, to determine whether to bring charges in such instances, Klobuchar relied on grand jury recommendations. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• investigation: The killing occurred in October 2006, several months before Klobuchar left office, and a grand jury was empaneled by her successor (Freeman, who returned for a second stint as county attorney). (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• charge: The grand jury did not recommend any charges. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: Walter Mondale said, "She has done better in that miserable Senate than most people there." At the end of the 114th Congress in late 2016, Klobuchar had passed more legislation than any other senator. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• investigation: In February 2017 she called for an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate ties between Russia and President Donald Trump and his administration. (as of 2026-07-18T01:52:07.519Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]