Ramsay Law Firm, PLLC

10/14/2026

“Chuck truly saved my life and my family’s livelihood.”

We’ve received many kind reviews over the years, but this one stopped us in our tracks.

Patrick, knowing that our work made this kind of difference for you and your family means more than we can say. We’re so happy you can move forward together.

And thank you for recognizing Shelley. Her quick responses, steady support, and genuine care are a huge part of what makes our team special.

Thank you for trusting Chuck, Shelley, and the entire Ramsay Law Firm team. We’ll remember your words for a long time.

10/13/2026

NEVER TAKE ROADSIDE FIELD SOBRIETY TESTS!

Field sobriety tests can create a one-way evidentiary trap. If you do well, Minnesota courts hold that good performance does not rule out impairment. Conversely, even if you make only a minor mistake, courts hold that supports the officer’s decision to arrest.

In Minnesota, roadside field sobriety tests are voluntary. Declining them does not prevent an officer from arresting you based on other evidence. This advice applies to roadside tests, not post-arrest breath, blood, or urine tests.

A recent Minnesota Court of Appeals opinion shows why the details matter. In Suggs v. Commissioner of Public Safety, the officer treated a 25-second estimate on the modified Romberg test as evidence of impairment. But DRE standards place 25 seconds within the stated passing range around the 30-second target. The modified Romberg is also different from the three NHTSA-standardized field sobriety tests.

Lawyers handling drug-DWI cases need to understand the science behind DRE evaluations. An officer’s conclusion is not the end of the analysis. Training, instructions, scoring, observations, and the applicable standards all deserve careful scrutiny.

We recently challenged a DRE’s impairment opinion in another case. The jury found our client not guilty. Read our blog about that verdict: How We Challenged a DRE’s Impairment Opinion and Won a Not Guilty Verdict

https://ramsayresults.com/not-guilty-minnesota-jury-rejects-cannabis-dwi-and-careless-driving-charges/

Be polite. Provide your license and insurance information. Do not argue. But do not consent to any field sobriety tests. They cannot help. They can only hurt you.

A Hennepin County jury found Ramsay Law Firm’s client not guilty of DWI and not guilty of careless driving after a trial involving a cannabis urine screen and testimony from a Drug Recognition Evaluator (“DRE”).

10/09/2026

💥 WE DO MORE THAN BEAT DWI CASES!

Most people know Ramsay Law Firm for our DWI defense work. That's most of what we do. But we also kick ass in other areas of criminal defense.

Here's a great example.

We just got TWO FIRST-DEGREE DRUG CHARGES DISMISSED in Olmsted County!

Police were investigating suspected drug trafficking. They never actually witnessed a drug transaction, but they considered a grocery bag, a one day rental car, and even driving the speed limit suspicious.

They stopped our client's vehicle and brought in a drug dog.

Here's where things got interesting.

The judge ruled that the traffic stop was legal. But during the K-9's sniff, the dog's nose crossed the threshold of an open passenger door. That required probable cause, which police didn't have.

We literally won by a nose! 🐕

The judge suppressed the evidence and dismissed BOTH first-degree drug charges.

The lesson? Just because police have a legitimate reason to stop your car doesn't mean they can do whatever they want afterward.

That's why we examine every detail of a police investigation. Sometimes the smallest detail makes all the difference.

Congratulations to Chuck Ramsay and Caleb Anthony on this win, and a special shoutout to paralegal Shelley Arndt for all her hard work behind the scenes!

It was also great working with public defender Amanda Lindberg, who represented the other defendant. Congratulations to Amanda, too!

Ramsay Law Firm. Ramsay Results. 💥

10/05/2026

A lot of lawyers say they specialize in DWI defense. Very few have earned board certification in it.

Fewer than 50 lawyers nationwide are Board Certified in DUI Defense Law through the National College for DUI Defense, whose certification program is accredited by the American Bar Association.

Earning that certification requires substantial DWI experience, advanced education, professional references, and passing rigorous written and oral examinations.

Ramsay Law Firm founder Charles Ramsay is the only Minnesota lawyer currently holding that certification.

Specialization can be claimed. Board certification has to be earned.

10/03/2026

Good DWI defense lawyers do more than defend individual clients. We independently scrutinize forensic laboratories whose conclusions can carry enormous weight in court.

That means examining raw data, testing methods, calibration, quality controls, validation, contamination, uncertainty, analyst practices, and whether the lab followed its own procedures.

Most people see only a test result and assume it must be reliable because it came from a lab. Defense lawyers look under the hood.

When we find a real problem, it can affect more than one case. It can expose flaws in a method, a laboratory, or a practice that needs to change.

Because if we don’t, who will?

A man convicted in a fatal DUI crash is asking the Illinois Supreme Court to review his case, arguing that cannabis test results used in his prosecution came from a UIC laboratory whose testing practices were later called into question.

10/02/2026

A DWI can cost you a lot more than your driver’s license.

Tony Romo was charged with a first-offense OWI in Wisconsin. CBS placed him on indefinite leave. After he later pleaded no contest, CBS and Romo announced today that they are parting ways after nine years. He was making approximately $18 million annually.

Think about that.

When someone gets charged with a first DWI, they’re usually worried about what happens next week or next month.

Will I lose my license?
Will I go to jail?
How much will this cost?

But some of the biggest consequences may not show up for years.

Maybe you don’t lose your current job.

But what about the next one?

The promotion that requires driving. The professional license. The background check. The company car. The security clearance. The opportunity you don’t even know exists yet.

That’s why I cringe when I hear someone say, “It’s only my first one. I’ll just plead guilty and get it over with.”

You have no idea today what opportunities may come along five or ten years from now.

A DWI case can affect more than your license. It can affect your career, your finances, your family, and your future.

Don’t just plead guilty to “get it over with.”

Have the case thoroughly investigated. Hire the best DWI lawyer you can find. Make the State prove its case.

Protect your record. Protect your career. Protect your family. Protect your future.

Romo was placed on indefinite leave shortly after the arrest and his place in CBS' No. 1 NFL was taken by J.J. Watt.

10/02/2026

Minnesota calls them DWI “All-Stars.”

One of them arrested our client.

A judge later found no probable cause.

So what exactly does the State measure when it hands out these awards?

Mostly this:

How many people did you arrest?

Not how many arrests held up in court.
Not whether the field sobriety tests were done correctly.
Not the quality of the police work.

In our client’s case, a Dakota County judge found “very little (if any) evidence” of impairment and said the field sobriety testing had “little factual value.”

And this year’s DWI Prosecutor Enforcement All-Star, Bill Lemons?
Our DataMaster source code files contain some very interesting emails involving Lemons, the BCA, and Intoximeters.

We took a closer look at what Minnesota is actually rewarding.

Quantity over quality?

Last month, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety announced its 2026 DWI Enforcement All-Stars. Fifty-seven officers made the list. Together, they made 4,415 DWI arrests in 2025, accounting for 16.5 percent of all DWI arrests statewide. The State also named Bill Lemons of the Minnesota County At...

10/01/2026

Transactional law is in for a ride.

AI is going to transform transactional law (think contracts and other document intensive work) faster than almost any other area of the profession, in my opinion.

Litigators will be affected too, but I think the impact will be different, and probably slower.

So who thrives in the AI era?

The lawyers who learn to use it, while continuing to do well the things technology cannot do by itself, exercise judgment, understand people, build trust, persuade, and advocate for clients when it matters.

I don’t think AI will replace good lawyers.

But lawyers who learn to use AI well are going to have a significant advantage over lawyers who don’t.

Here’s an example of where this is already heading:

Arceus is a modern law firm for fast-growing companies: licensed attorneys plus AI deliver contract review, negotiation, and drafting in hours, with upfront pricing and an on-time guarantee.

09/30/2026

“WHY ARE YOU STILL FIGHTING THIS, CHUCK? IT’S WELL-SETTLED LAW.”

I’ve heard that from prosecutors and judges for decades.

Sometimes “well-settled” just means nobody has changed it yet.

We fought warrantless blood and urine tests.

We fought for forensic results to account for uncertainty of measurement.

We fought for access to breath test source code.

And we've got more issues we're pressing today.

And more than 20 years ago, in State v. Blom, we fought Minnesota’s special rule that made it harder for a defendant to present evidence that somebody else committed the crime ("alternative perpetrator evidence").

We won part of that fight in 2004.

But the rule survived.

Until today.

In State v. Bucholz, the Minnesota Supreme Court eliminated that special hurdle and rejected imposing a “unique and higher evidentiary burden” on the defense.

There’s a lesson here, especially for younger lawyers.

Don’t fight everything just because you can.

Do the work. Know the law. Know the science. Make the record.

And when you know you’re right, don’t quit because somebody tells you the issue is settled.

Fight the “well-settled law”...

until it ain’t.

Vindication.

09/29/2026

The manufacturer says the reading should never decline.
This one did.
Did they rule out contamination?