MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Hennepin County prosecutors will not charge criminal cases that come from a non-public-safety traffic stop, such as expired tabs or a broken taillight, starting on Oct. 15.

The policy change was announced by Hennepin County Attorney May Moriarty, who said there are exceptions when there is a "compelling public safety interest," which will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Hennepin County non-public-safety traffic stop policy

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Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the purpose is to reduce the time wasted by law enforcement on what are often referred to as "pretext stops," which she says rarely recover contraband.

"It is an enormous waste of resources and comes at a devastating cost to our community," Hennepin County Attorney Moriar

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