News Item

More than 1,400 area students attend

The Minnesota Supreme Court convened at Denfeld High School today as part of a biannual program that seeks to teach students about the court system and build the public’s trust and confidence in the Judicial Branch.

The state’s highest court heard oral arguments of an actual case – Kelly Dennis, Respondent, vs. The Salvation Army and Chesterfield Services, Inc., Relators, and HealthEast Physician Services, et al, Intervenors (A15-0715) – in front of more than 1,400 area high school students. Students attended from Denfeld High School, Duluth East High School, Cloquet High School, Fond du Lac High School, Harbor City International School, Proctor High School, and Wrenshall High School.

Following the oral arguments, members of the Court held a question-and-answer session with the students, shared lunch with student representatives, and spent the afternoon visiting classrooms to talk more about the state’s court system.

In the weeks leading up to the event, local attorneys from the 11^th District Bar Association and judges from the Sixth Judicial District volunteered in area classrooms to help students understand the Supreme Court oral argument process and the case that was before the Court in Duluth.

Since the Supreme Court convened oral arguments in Rochester, Minn., in 1995, school visits have taken center stage in the Court’s public outreach and education efforts. The Duluth event marked the forty-second in-school oral argument for the Court.

The Court generally issues its opinions on cases three to five months following oral arguments.  All Supreme Court opinions are available upon release at http://www.mncourts.gov/SupremeCourt/RecentOpinions.aspx.

Community dinner held before the school event

The night before the event at Denfeld High School, on October 7, the Supreme Court held a community dinner for members of the public in the Kirby Ballroom at the Kirby Student Center on the University of Minnesota Duluth campus. The dinner was attended by more than 160 people from around the region, who shared a meal with members of the Supreme Court and the local district court bench, and heard comments from Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea and other Supreme Court justices. The event was also attended by Court of Appeals Judge Natalie Hudson, who was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor Dayton in August and will begin serving on the Court later this month.

“We are so grateful to the Duluth community for the warm welcome we received and the excellent discussions we had about Minnesota’s court system,” said Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Gildea. “These community visits are such a great opportunity to be able to talk about the role our courts play in preserving our rights and freedoms, and engage students at a time when they are learning about their role in our democracy. Minnesotans should be proud to have a court system that is recognized nationally for its fairness, accessibility, and technological innovation.”