State of Minnesota v. Nicholas Rekieta, Kayla Rekieta, April Imholte

[Friend of Dorothy Parker]

In case you were wondering who Nick was facing, it's a lawyer with equally unimpressive credentials, except for the fact that she has actually practiced law. She has only ever practiced in Podunkville, Minnesota, but has 10 years of experience there. The law school name should be familiar to Rekieta watchers, although I don't think they were classmates.

Apparently she is the First Assistant Kandiyohi County Attorney currently. I also found her LinkedIn, confirming her career as a lawyer who has never even thought about anything outside of small-town Minnesota. From the photo, I assume it's equally likely that she'll eat Nick as putting him in jail.

A short bio from 2023: https://www.wctrib.com/news/local/t...r-judicial-seat-chambered-in-benson-minnesota

Her picture: View attachment 6082623

Her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-pierce-b495192a/

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She has worked as a public defender, been a law clerk, worked at a firm, got a promotion in her current place of work, and was a candidate for a judgeship after 13 years of practice. Whatever are her skills, she and Nick are not in the same universe. He is a lawyer in name only. She is a lawyer doing well in her chosen sphere.

Also wholesomely married to a farmer with a long-owned family farm.

https://www.wctrib.com/news/moritz-pierce

https://www.brainerddispatch.com/sports/brother-cousin-team-shows-young-people-are-interested-in-farming

https://www.stcloudlive.com/news/local/stearns-county-farm-among-2024-sesquicentennial-farm-award-recipients

 

[Milkshake Sniffer]

Since his date has been scheduled, I'll get the obvious questions out of the way.

What are the odds he chooses to employ the absolutely innovative and fantastic strategy he has used with his traffic tickets? (i.e. no showing), and what would the potential consequences of this big brained strategy be? I mean big dogging the legal system into submission and getting a pardon aside, which is totally going to happen.

I know it won't happen but I'm hoping he goes sov citizen. It's about the only way this can become more ludicrous.

 

[Dr Naomi Hunter]

If he or Kayla hire an attorney, will it go on the court docket?

 

[Useful_Mistake]

If he or Kayla hire an attorney, will it go on the court docket?

It should, yeah

 

[Kosher Salt]

If he or Kayla hire an attorney, will it go on the court docket?

It should, yeah

Eventually. There's no particular reason for a busy lawyer to jump right on top of filing a simple notice of representation in a new client's case until they actually need to start filing stuff.

If they had to pro hac vice in, they'd do it sooner, just to make sure they didn't fuck up some minor detail that caused the court to kick it back and say to fix it. If they're already able to practice in that jurisdiction, they can get around to it whenever they get around to it.

 

[Owlbear]

She has worked as a public defender, been a law clerk, worked at a firm, got a promotion in her current place of work, and was a candidate for a judgeship after 13 years of practice. Whatever are her skills, she and Nick are not in the same universe. He is a lawyer in name only. She is a lawyer doing well in her chosen sphere.

My main point is that Nick (Nick's dad, the person who's actually paying) could hire someone from a decent firm in the twin cities, and she would likely be outclassed. She is absolutely above Nick's league, still. It's not unreasonable to assume that Nick has lost a case to her, and I wonder if we have a record of her showing up in his past cases.

If they had to pro hac vice in, they'd do it sooner, just to make sure they didn't fuck up some minor detail that caused the court to kick it back and say to fix it. If they're already able to practice in that jurisdiction, they can get around to it whenever they get around to it.

There's no way that this will happen unless Barnes takes the case. This is a routine case of a druggie who wants to either plea bargain or invalidate the search warrant, and both of those probably need local knowledge more than deep expertise in a subspecialty. I suppose Nick might be stupid enough to try to get Ty Beard to run his defense, and Ty might be greedy enough to let him. I am still hoping that he gets Barnes to go Constitutional on this, but that's getting less and less likely.

 

[Kosher Salt]

There's no way that this will happen unless Barnes takes the case. This is a routine case of a druggie who wants to either plea bargain or invalidate the search warrant, and both of those probably need local knowledge more than deep expertise in a subspecialty. I suppose Nick might be stupid enough to try to get Ty Beard to run his defense, and Ty might be greedy enough to let him. I am still hoping that he gets Barnes to go Constitutional on this, but that's getting less and less likely.

Didn't DUI guy or some other YouTube lawyer offer?

Still, I wasn't really suggesting that Nick would get out-of-jurisdiction counsel, I was just contrasting why they'd be more proactive in getting their appearance noted if they were.

 

[Thomas Talus]

My main point is that Nick (Nick's dad, the person who's actually paying) could hire someone from a decent firm in the twin cities, and she would likely be outclassed.

Just because someone is from a big firm does not necessarily mean they're a good lawyer, just that they likely charge more.

 

[MakeAnimeGA]

Defendant's Demand for Disclosure - for Nick. Kayla's has not been posted yet.

 

[Balldo's Gate]

You can see at the end there that the discovery demand was filed by Nick's new attorney Francis White.

No documents were filed by Kayla today, and she isn't shown as retaining counsel.

 

[Corn Syrup Connoisseur]

Defendant's Demand for Disclosure - for Nick. Kayla's has not been posted yet.
View attachment 6085053
View attachment 6085055
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View attachment 6085058

Going by the document, this is the Attorney Rekieta hired:
Website (Archive)

 

[Captain Manning]

Basic 411 on Nick's new attorney:



Attached is the official notice of representation to the court in PDF format.

 

[NSA Intern]

Defendant's Demand for Disclosure - for Nick. Kayla's has not been posted yet.
View attachment 6085053
View attachment 6085055
View attachment 6085056
View attachment 6085058

https://www.avvo.com/attorneys/55125-mn-francis-white-4636985.html

https://twitter.com/whit1736

https://7levellaw.locals.com/

 

[Balldo's Gate]

Basic 411 on Nick's new attorney:

He operates out of an office in the Tamarack Village shopping center east of St. Paul. I would have thought he would have gone with a local attorney rather than someone almost in Wisconsin, but I guess not.

Google says he literally operates out of the nearby JCPenney, though I will be generous and say this is probably wrong.

 

[NSA Intern]

Looks like he's ANOTHER family friend lawyer. On a docket with Barnes back in December last year.

https://casetext.com/case/heppes-v-3m-co

 

[Captain Manning]

He operates out of an office in the Tamarack Village shopping center east of St. Paul. I would have thought he would have gone with a local attorney rather than someone almost in Wisconsin, but I guess not.

Google says he literally operates out of the nearby JCPenney, though I will be generous and say this is probably wrong.

View attachment 6085144

What @NSA Intern said. In all probability, this is a Barnes recommendation.

Which further suggests he's gonna fight.

 

[Sam Losco]

He operates out of an office in the Tamarack Village shopping center east of St. Paul. I would have thought he would have gone with a local attorney rather than someone almost in Wisconsin, but I guess not.

Google says he literally operates out of the nearby JCPenney, though I will be generous and say this is probably wrong.

View attachment 6085144

You mean he's a strip mall lawyer?

 

[AnOminous]

What @NSA Intern said. In all probability, this is a Barnes recommendation.

Which further suggests he's gonna fight.

His credentials sound pretty solid. Seems pretty straight and narrow. If you're as obvious a total fuckup as Nick is, you probably want your lawyer to be staid. He also has 22 appellate criminal cases. You want a lawyer with appellate experience if you're trying a Fourth Amendment defense because your chances are so low of a judge finding the search warrant she signed (or as in this case a close colleague on the same court) unconstitutional. So you're probably looking at an appeal even if you're right.

 

[Third World Aristocrat]

You mean he's a strip mall lawyer?

"Welcome to Tamarack Village, a premier shopping center noted for its excellence in design and aesthetics including distinctive architecture and landscaping and a unique open and walk-able village shopping experience. Located in Woodbury, MN at Interstate 94 and Radio Drive, the Tamarack Village concept allows for easy access to one or two shops or a leisurely day of shopping among 60 plus stores and dining in one of our many restaurant options"

A premier mall lawyer, mind you!

 

[NSA Intern]

His credentials sound pretty solid. Seems pretty straight and narrow. If you're as obvious a total fuckup as Nick is, you probably want your lawyer to be staid. He also has 22 appellate criminal cases. You want a lawyer with appellate experience if you're trying a Fourth Amendment defense because your chances are so low of a judge finding the search warrant she signed (or as in this case a close colleague on the same court) unconstitutional. So you're probably looking at an appeal even if you're right.

The Corn Must Flow. This case will be feeding my drama habit for years.