Mahnomen Woman Charged After License Cancellation

MAHNOMEN, Minnesota (trfnews.i234.me) — Josephine Louise Defoe faces a gross misdemeanor charge following a May traffic stop.

Prosecutors charged Defoe with driving after cancellation as inimical to public safety.

The charge was filed in Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District Court in Mahnomen County.

The case is listed under court file number 44-CR-26-304.

Vehicle Reportedly Drove Over Curb

The criminal complaint says the incident happened on May 20, 2026.

A White Earth Police Department officer saw a dark SUV enter the Fevig gravel parking lot.

The lot is located along East Washington Avenue in Mahnomen.

The SUV traveled south through the lot, according to the complaint.

It then crossed a curb before entering Railway Street.

The driver did not use the marked entrance to reach the road, the complaint states.

An officer stopped the SUV near Railway Street and McKinley Avenue.

Josephine Louise Defoe was identified as the vehicle’s only occupant and driver.

Defoe allegedly told the officer that she did not have a valid driver’s license.

She also reportedly said she had no identification with her.

A records check confirmed her legal name, according to the court filing.

State license records showed her driving privileges were canceled as inimical to public safety.

That status applies when Minnesota authorities consider a person’s driving unsafe for public roads.

More information about the charge is available through the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.

The complaint alleges Defoe knew, or should have known, about the cancellation.

She was arrested without incident and taken to the Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office.

She was later booked at the jail, according to the complaint.

Driving after cancellation under this section is a gross misdemeanor.

A conviction may bring up to 364 days in jail.

It may also bring a fine of up to $3,000.

Case information may be available through Minnesota Court Records Online.

A criminal complaint contains allegations and does not prove guilt.

Defoe is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

I’m Adrian Cole, reporting for TRF News.

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