Kanne and the MMCC sued the strike force on October 5, calling a search this summer at Kanne's St. Cloud apartment illegal. Kanne, a member of the Christian motorcycle club Bond Slaves, is Secretary for the MMCC and has no criminal record. Seized were various items of personal property as well as three computers, dozens of disks and tapes, club mailing lists and other items belonging to the Coalition.

Kanne's lawyer, Minnesota Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) attorney Stephen R. O'Brien filed a Notice of Motion and Motion for the return of all property and the unsealing of the supporting affidavit, the document which justifies the signing of the search warrant.

"By refusing to divulge the supporting affidavits, the government has shown no justification for the search," according to O'Brien, who has served as legal counsel for the MMCC since its inception.

At a hearing on November 9, 2000, Judge Bernard Boland ruled in favor of Mr. Kanne and the Minnesota Motorcycle Club Coalition, immediately ordering the return of all property seized during the search. The judge also ruled that the supporting affidavit justifying the search warrant had to be disclosed. This may enable O'Brien to bring a 1983 Federal lawsuit against the Minnesota Gang Strike Force.

O'Brien recently sued a Crystal, Minnesota bar for refusing service to a biker, and was awarded a $720.00 judgment in what is thought to be the first legal test of Minnesota's newly enacted Equal Access biker anti-discrimination law.

Once again, O'Brien has received a ruling which favors Minnesota bikers, and for his tremendous efforts over the years Stephen R. O'Brien was selected by the National Coalition of Motorcyclists board of directors to receive the NCOM Silver Spoke Award for Legal at next year's NCOM Convention in Orlando.

    This story is provided courtesy of Motorcycle NewsWire.com