Public Notice Detail

ANOKA, MN (March 28, 2001) – Judges in East Central Minnesota today expressed strong support for the Judiciary’s legislative request of $86.6 million.  The funding will help the Tenth Judicial District cope with too many cases and too few judges.

Caseloads in the Tenth District have tripled since 1982 and the district will face a three-judge deficit by the end of this biennium.  Major criminal cases in the district have increased 218 percent between 1982 and 2000, from 2,365 filings to 7,521 filings.  Major cases, which take up about 80 percent of judges’ time, increased 87 percent within that time.

The Judiciary’s proposed budget would give the Tenth District the three new judges it needs to keep pace with current caseloads.  The district includes the counties of Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine, Sherburne, Washington and Wright.

All across the state, judges are working harder than ever under the pressure of increased filings.  The State Legislative Auditor reported on Jan. 26, 2001 that Minnesota’s judges handle 49 percent more cases per judge when compared to judges in states that have similar court systems (7,854 total filings per Minnesota judge compared to a median of 5,274 total filings per judge in comparable states).

The result is judges spending less time on each case.

“Court can become a nightmare with 120 people in just a few hours.  It takes the humanity away,” said Judge R. Joseph Quinn, Chief Judge of the Tenth Judicial District.  “Remove our ability to listen and you remove the essence of what we do.”

“All judges want to be good judges and make good decisions,” Judge Quinn said.  “But they cannot do it with the numbers of cases we have and without more help.”

On average, Minnesota judges spend 11.3 minutes for each Driving While Intoxicated case, 20.5 minutes per domestic abuse file and 2-5 minutes per case on arraignment calendars.  Some judges have used the terms “McJustice” and “The Assembly Line of Justice” to describe their courtrooms.

Attracting/Retaining Employees

Judges rely heavily on staff such as law clerks to help them get through caseloads.  However, courthouses are struggling to keep clerk positions filled because of low salaries. 

Currently, the Tenth District has two clerk openings, but few people have applied for the positions.

First-year attorneys currently make $26,706 a year as District Court law clerks.  But they can enter private practice for as much as $95,000.  In the public sector, first-year attorneys in the State Public Defender’s Office earn $43,000 a year and the Attorney General’s Office pays $39,000.

“These people can make more money in retailing,” Judge Quinn said.  “They want to work for the court.  It’s a tremendous learning experience.  But they cannot afford it.”

Without clerks, judges must conduct their own legal research and draft their own opinions, taking more time away from hearing cases.  The court system’s budget includes $31.6 million to help resolve this problem and keep overall Judicial Branch employee salaries and benefits competitive.

Guardians ad Litem/Court Interpreters

The Judiciary’s budget also includes $10.6 million for mandated services, including guardians ad litem, or advocates for abused and neglected children, and court interpreters.

Currently, 40 percent of all Minnesota children involved in child abuse and neglect cases have no voice in the court proceedings that determine their fate, even though an advocate is required by state and federal law.  An additional 14 percent have inadequate representation because existing guardians are stretched so thin they cannot spend enough time per case.

Courts are also struggling to provide qualified interpreters for non-English-speaking or hearing-impaired people.  Interpreters are constitutionally mandated because they are fundamental to understanding court proceedings.

Language barriers can double or triple court time.  According to the Legislative Auditor’s report, more than half of attorney and judge respondents said that cultural and language differences significantly affect the court’s ability to process cases today compared with five or more years ago.

Statewide, judicial district expenditures on interpreter services increased by 197 percent in just four years, from about $674,000 in 1996 to $2 million in 2000.

“Minnesotans come to our courtrooms with their most important problems and depend on us to make good decisions.  But there are unacceptable deficits in several areas that make judges less effective,” said Chief Justice Kathleen A. Blatz of the Minnesota Supreme Court.  “We must work to solve those problems.  Failing to address the court system’s needs will mean real consequences for real people.”