About Colin Nelson

Colin T. Nelson worked for 40 years as a prosecutor and criminal defense lawyer in Minneapolis. He tried everything from speeding tickets to first degree murder. His writing about the courtroom and the legal system give the reader a "back door" view of what goes on, what's funny, and what's a good story. He has also traveled extensively and includes those locations in his mysteries. Some are set in Southeast Asia, Ecuador,Peru, and South Africa. Readers get a suspenseful tale while learning about new places on the planet. Colin is married, has two adult children, and plays the saxophone in various bands.

Empty the Prisons!!

I recently blogged about the sky-rocketing population in our nation’s prisons, reminding people that the United States imprisons more people that even Russia and Iran. Check out the article in The Economist at http://www.economist.com/node/16636027/print.

There are two reasons for this surge in prison population and the resulting surge in costs to the government for housing all these people.…

Using American Children as Weapons of Mass Destruction

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What if American children were used as weapons of mass destruction?

Is this the “real” reason behind the disappearing Somali boys from the Twin Cities?

Colin T. Nelson’s new book, “Reprisal,” answers these!!


Small pox was eradicated from the planet it 1979. As a result, no one has been immunized …

Jack the Ripper Found in California

For many years during the 1990’s, someone was killing and often raping a number of prostitutes in Los Angeles. Most the the victims were shot and their bodies left in dumpsters or hidden. Homicide cops investigated each crime without success. They suspected a single “Jack the Ripper” but couldn’t figure out his identity.

The murders stopped inexplicably for …

Why Don't Defense Lawyers Seek Justice?

Should criminal defense lawyers seek justice in court?

I had the wonderful opportunity the other week to be invited to speak to our local chapter of Sisters in Crime, a national writing group composed of both women and men dedicated to supporting mystery writers.

They asked me to talk about my experiences as a criminal defense lawyer over …

Who Are Those Guys?

Most Americans Can’t Name the Supreme Court Justices!

A recent poll by FineLaw.com, a part of the respected company, Thompson Reuters, found recently that two thirds of Americans can’t even name one person on the United States Supreme Court. All that fighting to pick Supreme Court justices, senate confirmation hearings, television coverage, liberals and conservatives both warning of …

Crazy People Who Commit Crimes

Why focusing on mental health will decrease crime!

Have you noticed more street people lately? Wanderers, panhandlers, and even those bad musicians playing all over? (Careful there…I’m a musician and I always throw money into those open instrument cases, no matter how bad the musician!) How about the guy I saw yesterday sitting on a busy street wearing …

Is Miranda Dead?

Have the Supremes given the police more power??

In the recent Thompkins case, the Supreme Court ruled that unless a citizen who’s under arrest as a criminal suspect actually says, “I don’t want to talk or I won’t talk without a lawyer,” police can continue questioning him for a long time..until they get a confession.

Suspect, Van Chester …