Although there was a Minnesota statute in effect at the time of Dunn's death which prohibited "advising, encouraging, or assisting" in a "suicide", the state Court of Appeals found the statute to be unconstitutional because it violated the defendants' First Amendment-protected right to freedom of speech. The court ruled in fall 2013 that the statute's prohibitions against "advising" and "encouraging" a suicide had to be stricken, but it allowed the state to prosecute Final Exit Network for "assisting" in a suicide. In an unrelated case before the trial, the Supreme Court of Minnesota ruled that "speech" that "enables" a suicide, standing alone, may constitute a crime under the Minnesota law.