MSA Legal Counsel

Richard Hodsdon

Rick recently retired after over 33 years in the Washington County Attorney’s Office in Stillwater, Minnesota, where he was assigned to several divisions and served ten years as the first assistant. Then, and now, Rick deals with numerous aspects of government operations including data practices, HIPAA, the sheriff’s office, personnel matters and criminal prosecution, gun laws, and civil litigation. Rick has also been the Minnesota Sheriffs' Association legal counsel since 1987.  Rick is on the faculty of Northwestern University Police Command School and teaches throughout the United States on matters of employment law and criminal justice issues. He is also an executive member of the National Sheriff's Association Legal Affairs Committee and works with and advises several other national law enforcement and legal organizations.

He has a J.D. and master’s degree in public administration and is admitted to practice before the courts of Minnesota, 8th Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court.

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Expungement

Data Practices and Gun Laws

Background Investigations

Other Courses

Background Investigations

June 2 & 3, 2021

CLICK HERE for the training announcement.

CLICK HERE for online registration​.

Authority of the Sheriff: Myths and Reality

May 12, 2021

CLICK HERE for the training announcement.

CLICK HERE for online registration​.

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HIPAA: Understanding the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

May 18, 2021

CLICK HERE for the training announcement.

CLICK HERE for online registration​.

Background Investigations

One of the most perilous aspects for a public sector employer is the vetting and backgrounds of potential employees.  An agency that does not properly background its prospective employees prior to employment faces serious liability under theories of negligent hiring and deliberate indifference to the risk of harm to third parties. 

 Quote from attendee:

"Thank you for your help, I learned more in this class than any other class I have taken."

Basics of Discipline

This course is designed for any person who hires, manages, evaluates, or supports law enforcement personnel.

Sealing/Expungement or Records

This four hour training covers mental health records, unlawful detainer records, juvenile delinquency records, booking identification data, adult criminal matters, and the inherent authority of the courts.   

In this training, Rick sheds light on the impact of the expungement legislation on law enforcement, County and City Attorneys, and county and municipal government.

Data Practices

Every Sheriff and Chief of Police knows handling public data in Minnesota can be a very difficult task and sometime embarrassing to the agency.  Deputies, records staff, dispatchers and supervisors all deal with public data on a daily basis.  Every phone call, radio transmission, MDC/Computer Screen, piece of paper, and even when you talk about work in your agency is a data practices event.

Gun Laws

Advanced Data Practices and Gun Laws

These courses use your real life cases or ones you have dealt with as an exercise to help you develop processes and systems to analyze special issues.  Each student is asked to bring with them a real life case that they either have worked on or are working on to be used as a case study and learning device to be discussed in the class.

Interested in additional Rick Hodsdon trainings?

CLICK HERE 

for the listing of available Rick Hodsdon courses.