Alleged MN gang members agree to skip Minnesota State Fair: Court docs
A crowd of people at the Minnesota State Fair on Sunday, August 27, 2023. (FOX 9)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Amid a lawsuit brought by the Ramsey County Attorney and Minnesota Attorney General, seven alleged members of the Muddy gang have agreed to skip the 2026 Minnesota State Fair, according to court documents filed Wednesday.
Fair agreement filed
What we know:
In stipulations filed wednesday and Thursday, seven men, who are identified by prosecutors as members of the Muddy and The Ville gangs, have agreed not to attend the 2026 Minnesota State Fair.
As part of the agreement, the men say they will also avoid a "safety area" around the fairgrounds from Aug. 27 to Sept. 7 – the dates of the fair – and not aid any gang activity in that area during those dates.
The other side:
If the members abide by the agreement, the Ramsey County Attorney and AG's office have agreed to dismiss them from the lawsuit.
The documents entered on the court file Wednesday and Thursday had not yet been signed off by the judge in the case, but all seven men had agreed to the stipulation.
One of the stipulations involving three of the individuals was filed prior to a Wednesday morning court hearing on the lawsuit. A second stipulation was filed Wednesday afternoon involving the other three men.
A seventh member was added after another stipulation was filed Thursday.
The backstory:
Earlier this month, Ramsey County filed a lawsuit to block two gangs from attending the fair.
Attorneys were asking the court to prevent the Muddy and The Ville gangs from going into the "safety zone" that covers the fairgrounds and some surrounding neighborhoods.
Officials argued that recent shootings in St. Paul, like the Metro State graduation shooting, and near the fair have involved the gangs.
Officials said, if granted, the lawsuit would give law enforcement the ability to arrest any gang member who violated the order and attended the fair without the need for probable cause of another crime being committed.
The Source: Ramsey County court documents and past FOX 9 reporting.