Sentenced to College - Chapter 9

The jury trial, Day 1

New here? Start from the beginning…

January 24, 2000 – Day 1 continued

After opening arguments had been delivered on the first day of Angel’s trial, it was time to call witnesses.

The first witness for the prosecution was Officer Bruce Monson, a 21-year member of the Willmar Police Department, and an investigator with the city’s Gang Enforcement Team (GET). This special unit of the Willmar PD had been established about two years earlier, after a spate of drive-by shootings and increasing gang activity in the Willmar area. Both Monson and his partner, Officer James Proshek, had been members of the GET since its beginning.

Prosecutor Connie Crowell first questioned Officer Monson about his background experience with gang enforcement. He responded that he’d taught DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) classes to 5th graders for seven years, which included a unit on gangs. He also attended several classes and seminars on gang behavior through the Minnesota Gang Strike Force and the Quad State Task Force, which served the states of Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. He and his partner had interviewed several area gang members and, most recently, had been presenters at other law enforcement trainings.

Ms. Crowell presented Officer Monson’s resume to the Court as Exhibit 1.

Next, she asked him to describe his duties as a member of Willmar’s Gang Enforcement Team.