Defense Challenges Evidence In Minnesota Deer Poaching Case

MADISON (AP) — The attorney for a west-central Minnesota man accused of poaching deer is challenging the evidence.

Attorney Bill Peterson contends that evidence against Joshua Liebl of Dawson should be thrown out because conservation officers violated his constitutional rights.

Peterson says in court papers filed Friday that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources didn't properly seek a search warrant before attaching a GPS tracking device to Liebl's pickup on Oct. 8, 2014. As a result, Peterson says, Liebl's rights against unreasonable searches were violated.

Less than two weeks after attaching the GPS gadget to Liebl's pickup, DNR officers executed a search warrant and confiscated the racks and mounts of 37 dead deer from Liebl's home.

Lac qui Parle County Attorney Rick Stulz believes use of the tracking device will hold up.