Minnesota Nice Means Knock First

Knock First Minnesota is a non-partisan initiative created by the Community Justice Project. The mission of this initiative is to ban the use of no-knock warrants in Minnesota through comprehensive legislation. Our vision is that every Minnesotan will have the opportunity to answer the door. 

No-knock warrants provide an exception to the knock and announce rule for law enforcement. The knock and announce rule for the execution of warrants is derived from the Fourth Amendment and applicable to all federal and state law enforcement. Wilson v. Arkansas, 514 U.S. 927 (1995). The rule requires law enforcement to: 1) audibly make their presence known [such as by knocking]; 2) announce their status as law enforcement; 3) announce the purpose of the law enforcement presence; and 4) delay for a period of time sufficient to permit the occupants to reach and open the door. The no-knock warrant exception to the knock-and-announce rule is meant to protect the safety of officers and prevent the destruction of evidence. United States v. Ramirez, 523 U.S. 65 (1998). In reality, no-knock warrants create an inherently dangerous situation in direct conflict with the Second and Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Furthermore, no-knock raids are disproportionately committed against People of Color.

“The conflict between no-knock warrants, the castle doctrine, and the rate of gun ownership is a dangerous cocktail that creates an inherent risk of harm any time police force entry into a private residence without first knocking and announcing their authority and purpose. The principles underlying the castle doctrine, like those underlying the knock-and-announce rule, are based upon the sanctity of the home as a place where individuals should be free from unlawful intrusion. Because the knock-and-announce rule and the castle doctrine are based on similar legal and historical principles, the most harmonious way to resolve the tension between them and reduce the risk of violence created by no-knock warrants is for states to eliminate the use of no-knock warrants and require strict adherence to the knock-and-announce requirement.” NOTE: TO KNOCK OR NOT TO KNOCK? NO-KNOCK WARRANTS AND CONFRONTATIONAL POLICING, 93 St. John's L. Rev. 201.

Please help us avoid tragedy here in Minnesota. Thank you.

Knock First Minnesota

Knock First Minnesota does not accept donations.