Hollis John Larson

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Charge:	Making Terrorist Threat
Sentence:	2 years and 5 months
Years Imprisoned:	1.6
Year Crime:	2007
Year Convicted:	2008
Year Cleared:	2009
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Minnesota
County or Region of Crime:	Goodhue
City of Crime:	Red Wing
Result:	Judicially Exonerated
Summary of Case:	"Hollis John Larson was wrongly convicted on May 12, 2008 of making a terrorist threat to his sister on December 16, 2007 while he was incarcerated in Goodhue County, Minnesota. Larson's prosecution was based on a letter he sent to his sister in which he was angry because they were cut off while he was talking to her on the phone, and he thought she had hung up on him. She considered the letter to be threatening, and she immediately contacted authorities -- unaware that Larson had mailed a letter of apology and explanation. After his conviction following a bench trial, Hollis Larson was sentenced to 2 years and 5 months. Larson appealed. On September 15, 2009 the Minnesotta Court of Appeals reversed his conviction on the basis the prosecution introduced insufficient evidence at trial to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The Court's ruling stated: " In this case, the state did not identify the specific crime of violence that Larson allegedly threatened, nor did the district court make oral or written findings regarding the specific crime of violence threatened. ... The state argues that because Larson was in prison when he sent the letter, any threat was necessarily a future threat, and Goodman was aware of Larson's impending release. But these facts do not create a threat where none exists. On this record, we conclude that the reference in the letter is insufficient to support a conviction of terroristic threats. ... Under these circumstances, Larson's letter appears to be an expression of transitory anger that does not warrant the grave sanctions that flow from a conviction of terroristic threats. Because we are reversing for the reasons stated above, we do not reach the additional issues raised in Larson's pro se supplemental brief." [State v. Larson, No. A08-1444 (Minn. Court of Appeals, 9-15-2009)] Larson remained in civil committment for his classification as a sexually dangerous person for his conviction of sexually assaulting his niece. Larson had served about 16 years in prison on that conviction before his civil commitment in 2008. As of December 30, 2019 Larson remained civilly committed, which was the date the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed the denial of his effort to legally change his name to "Better Off Dead". Larson unsuccessfully argued that the name change was an expression of his religious belief and freedom of speech."
Conviction Caused By:
Innocence Proved By:	"On September 15, 2009 the Minnesotta Court of Appeals reversed his conviction on the basis the prosecution introduced insufficient evidence at trial to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	43
Age When Released:	44
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"State v. Larson, No. A08-1444 (Minn. Court of Appeals, 9-15-2009) (Reversing conviction based on insufficient prosecution trial evidence.)"
Information Location 1:	"https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=16659202327894442976&q=hollis+larson&hl=en&as_sdt=4,24"
Information Source 2:	"Larson v. Jesson, 847 NW 2d 531 (Minn. Court of Appeals 2014)"
Information Location 2:	"https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=12707127878286150678&q=hollis+larson&hl=en&as_sdt=4,24"
Information Source 3:	"In the Matter of the Application of: Hollis John Larson for a Change of Name, No. A18-2153 (Minn: Court of Appeals, 12-30-2019) (Affirming denial of name change to "Better Off Dead".)"
Information Location 3:	"https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=16033205299157448719&q=hollis+larson&hl=en&as_sdt=4,24"
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Hollis John Larson

Charge:

Making Terrorist Threat

Sentence:

2 years and 5 months

Years Imprisoned:

1.6

Year Crime:

2007

Year Convicted:

2008

Year Cleared:

2009

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Minnesota

County or Region of Crime:

Goodhue

City of Crime:

Red Wing

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

"On September 15, 2009 the Minnesotta Court of Appeals reversed his conviction on the basis the prosecution introduced insufficient evidence at trial to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

43

Age When Released:

44

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"State v. Larson, No. A08-1444 (Minn. Court of Appeals, 9-15-2009) (Reversing conviction based on insufficient prosecution trial evidence.)"

Information Location 1:

"https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=16659202327894442976&q=hollis+larson&hl=en&as_sdt=4,24"

Information Source 2:

"Larson v. Jesson, 847 NW 2d 531 (Minn. Court of Appeals 2014)"

Information Location 2:

"https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=12707127878286150678&q=hollis+larson&hl=en&as_sdt=4,24"

Information Source 3:

"In the Matter of the Application of: Hollis John Larson for a Change of Name, No. A18-2153 (Minn: Court of Appeals, 12-30-2019) (Affirming denial of name change to "Better Off Dead".)"

Information Location 3:

"https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=16033205299157448719&q=hollis+larson&hl=en&as_sdt=4,24"

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