2006 Minnesota Statutes

169.89 PENALTIES.
    Subdivision 1. Violation; when petty misdemeanor enhanced to misdemeanor. Unless
otherwise declared in this chapter with respect to particular offenses, it is a petty misdemeanor for
any person to do any act forbidden or fail to perform any act required by this chapter; except that:
(1) a violation which is committed in a manner or under circumstances so as to endanger or
be likely to endanger any person or property; or
(2) exclusive of violations relating to the standing or parking of an unattended vehicle, a
violation of any of the provisions of this chapter, classified therein as a petty misdemeanor,
when preceded by two or more petty misdemeanor convictions within the immediate preceding
12-month period;
is a misdemeanor to which the provisions of subdivision 2 shall not apply.
    Subd. 2. Petty misdemeanor penalty; no jury trial. A person charged with a petty
misdemeanor is not entitled to a jury trial but shall be tried by a judge without a jury. If convicted,
the person is not subject to imprisonment but shall be punished by a fine of not more than $300.
    Subd. 3.[Obsolete]
    Subd. 4. Driver's record. When a person is arrested for a violation of any provision of this
chapter, or a violation of any provision of a city ordinance regulating traffic, the court before
whom the matter is heard shall determine the driver's record of the person from the commissioner
of public safety before pronouncing sentence and the expense incident to the procurement of this
information is taxable as costs upon the conviction.
    Subd. 5. Driver improvement clinic; attendance. In conjunction with or in lieu of other
penalties provided by law for violation of this chapter or a municipal ordinance enacted in
conformance thereto, the trial court may in its judgment of conviction order the convicted person
to attend and satisfactorily complete a course of study at an approved driver improvement clinic
or youth-oriented driver improvement clinic. The commissioner of public safety may, upon the
motion of the commissioner of public safety or upon recommendation of the court, suspend,
for a period of not to exceed 30 days, the operator's license, provisional license, permit, or
nonresident operating privilege of any person who fails or refuses to comply with an order to
attend an approved driver improvement clinic or youth-oriented driver improvement clinic. The
requirement of attendance at an approved driver improvement clinic or youth-oriented driver
improvement clinic is not a fine, imprisonment, or sentence within the meaning of section
609.02. The court may not order a convicted person to attend any driver improvement clinic
or youth-oriented driver improvement clinic which is located more than 35 miles from the
person's residence. For the purposes of this section "an approved driver improvement clinic
or youth-oriented driver improvement clinic" means a clinic whose curriculum and mode of
instruction conform to standards promulgated by the commissioner of public safety.
History: (2720-281) 1937 c 464 s 131; 1939 c 430 s 27; 1947 c 428 s 34; 1965 c 711 s 5;
1969 c 118 s 1; 1969 c 1129 art 1 s 18; Ex1971 c 27 s 15; 1973 c 123 art 5 s 7; 1973 c 421 s 2; 1979
c 233 s 1; 1980 c 520 s 2; 1986 c 444; 1994 c 636 art 2 s 3; 1998 c 388 s 2; 2000 c 488 art 5 s 1