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Judge denies new trial in Minneapolis girl's killing

A Hennepin County judge denied Dpree Shareef Robinson's postconviction bid to withdraw his 2023 guilty plea and vacate his 37.5-year sentence for the 2021 drive-by shooting that killed 9-year-old Trinity Ottoson-Smith in Minneapolis. The court found no evidence Robinson was impaired by oxycodone at his plea hearing and rejected his claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, keeping his second-degree murder conviction and sentence in place.

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📌 Key Facts

  • Ruling: Postconviction petition to undo plea and sentence denied this week in Hennepin County District Court
  • Defendant: Dpree Shareef Robinson; pled guilty in March 2023 to second‑degree murder; received 37.5‑year sentence
  • Victim: 9‑year‑old Trinity Ottoson‑Smith, shot while on a trampoline at a North Illion Ave. home in 2021; died 12 days later
  • Judge’s findings: Last oxycodone dose was >2 days before plea; typical effect ~6 hours; judge, prosecutor and defense counsel all said Robinson appeared alert
  • Ineffective‑counsel claim: Court found no showing that performance fell below objective standards

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December 04, 2025