Michelle Gross

Gov. Pawlenty isn’t the only one feeling a chill at the one-year anniversary of events around the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul. The RNC cast a few odd shadows at a forum for candidates seeking to replace Pawlenty in Minneapolis this morning.

Let the litigation begin. Eight lawsuits have been filed in U.S. District Court claiming civil rights abuses by police officers during events surrounding the Republican National Convention in September. The civil suits accuse officers of physical and sexual abuse, illegal searches and seizure of property, and wrongful detainment. Says one of the lawyers handling the cases, “This is just the beginning.”