News Item
Schedule released for Duluth “Open Courthouse” on May 1

Posted: Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Visitors to the St. Louis County Courthouse in Duluth on May 1 will have the opportunity to meet a Minnesota Supreme Court justice and local district court judges, take a guided “behind-the-scenes” tour of the courthouse and inmate holding area, learn about Minnesota’s justice system from experts like the St. Louis County Attorney and the Sixth Judicial District Public Defender, and get free legal help from members of the Volunteer Attorney Program. Visitors will also be able to view SWAT equipment from the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, and meet a drug-sniffing dog from the Sheriff’s Office K-9 officer unit.

All of these opportunities are being offered as part of an “open courthouse” event being hosted by Minnesota’s Sixth Judicial District in partnership with the Minnesota State Bar Association. The event is being held on “Law Day,” a day set aside by Congress to celebrate how the legal process contributes to our nation’s freedoms and safety. The event is designed to showcase the work of Minnesota’s Sixth Judicial District, and educate the public about the role of judges, attorneys, law enforcement, and citizens in administering Minnesota’s justice system.

The public and media are invited and encouraged to attend the event. The event will take place from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 1, at the St. Louis County Courthouse, 100 North 5th Avenue West, in downtown Duluth.

Below is a schedule of events for May 1:

1:00 p.m.
Event Kick-Off with Supreme Court Justice Dietzen and Chief Judge Floerke
3rd Floor Courtroom 

  • Minnesota Supreme Court Associate Justice Christopher Dietzen and Sixth Judicial District Chief Judge Shaun Floerke will welcome visitors and give a brief introduction to Minnesota’s justice system.

1 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
“Behind-the-scenes” Courthouse Tours
Tours begin on the ground floor every 45 minutes

  • Guests will have an opportunity to explore courtrooms, a judge’s chambers, the inmate holding area and arraignment courtroom, and the county law library through a 45-minute guided tour. Along the way, visitors will hear from local district court judges, the St. Louis County Attorney and Sixth Judicial District Public Defender, and Sheriff’s office personnel about various aspects of Minnesota’s justice system.

12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Information Fair
Jury Lounge, 4th Floor 

  • Visitors can take a self-guided walk through an information fair designed to showcase the work of many of the justice system partners in the local community, share legal resources available to the public, and highlight new advancements in criminal justice and court technology being implemented across the state. Guests can also meet a drug-sniffing dog from the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit.

12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Self-Help Legal Clinic
St. Louis County Law Library, Ground Floor

  • The Volunteer Attorney Program will host a self-help legal clinic, where visitors can receive free legal advice or help filling out court forms during one-on-one sessions with volunteer attorneys.

12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
SWAT Equipment Display
Outside the courthouse, off the 2nd Street Entrance

  • The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office will have SWAT equipment available for viewing just outside the courthouse.

Information about the event is posted at www.mncourts.gov/duluthopencourthouse.

About Minnesota’s Sixth Judicial District

Minnesota’s Sixth Judicial District serves Minnesota's Arrowhead Region in Carlton, Cook, Lake, and St. Louis Counties. The District Bench includes 16 District Court Judges who are chambered throughout the District. Shaun R. Floerke serves as Chief Judge of the District, and is a member of the Judicial Council, which oversees the administration of justice in the state. Together the judges and court administration staff work to provide just and timely resolution of more than 45,000 case filings each year.