Crookston Jail Lists Payton Kujava on DWI Allegation

CROOKSTON (trfnews.i234.me) — A regional jail excerpt lists Payton Christopher Kujava, 36, for an alleged alcohol-related driving offense.

The supplied entry gives Sunday, October 25, 2026, as his incarceration date.

It identifies one controlling offense under Minnesota Statute 169A.20, subdivision 1(1).

The jail entry describes the offense as operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.

DWI Allegation Appears in Jail Record

Kujava’s date of birth is listed as June 22, 1990.

He was 36 years old on the reported incarceration date.

The entry labels the offense with the abbreviation GM, indicating a gross misdemeanor designation in the listing.

No other controlling offense appears in the short excerpt provided.

The record does not identify a highway, street, municipality, or specific location for the alleged driving.

Crookston is the location of the regional correctional facility, not a verified location for the alleged incident.

What Minnesota’s DWI Law Says

Minnesota Statute 169A.20, subdivision 1(1), prohibits driving, operating, or controlling a motor vehicle while under alcohol’s influence.

That provision describes prohibited conduct but does not, by itself, identify a particular DWI degree.

The degree depends on additional facts and other provisions of Minnesota law.

For example, third-degree DWI is a gross misdemeanor when one qualifying aggravating factor applies.

Second-degree DWI can also be a gross misdemeanor when its statutory requirements are met.

The supplied entry does not cite a degree-specific statute or identify any aggravating factor.

Its gross misdemeanor designation therefore cannot be independently explained from the excerpt alone.

Police Investigation Details Not Provided

The record contains no description of a traffic stop, vehicle, arresting officer, or police department.

It does not provide a breath test result, blood test finding, or other chemical analysis.

The excerpt also does not describe field sobriety tests or statements allegedly made to investigators.

There is no reported crash, injury, or property damage in the supplied information.

That absence does not establish whether any such circumstances occurred.

Court and Custody Status Not Confirmed

No court case number, bail amount, release date, or scheduled hearing appears in the jail excerpt.

The incarceration date alone does not establish whether Kujava remains in custody.

The entry also does not establish whether prosecutors later filed formal charges in district court.

A booking allegation is not proof of a conviction or a final court finding.

Where to Check Public Records

Tri-County Community Corrections maintains a public inmate roster for the Northwest Regional Corrections Center.

The agency says it generally updates that roster each weekday morning.

Readers can also consult Minnesota Court Records Online for available court filings.

Some pending criminal matters are not searchable by a defendant’s name in that system.

The available excerpt does not confirm a plea, conviction, dismissal, or sentencing outcome.

Kujava is presumed innocent of the listed allegation unless proven guilty in court.

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.