Public Notice Detail
Supreme Court Chief Justice to Pinch-Hit in New Ulm Juvenile Court June 29
Posted: Friday, June 23, 2000
Brown County has been without a District Court judge since Judge Terri Stoneburner was sworn in to the Minnesota Court of Appeals April 28. Pipestone District Court Judge David Christensen and other Fifth Judicial District judges have been covering court calendars since then.
“I’m happy to lend a hand wherever I can,” said Chief Justice Blatz. “It’s important that we continue to administer justice in an efficient and effective manner.”
To further ease workloads, New Ulm courts installed Interactive Television (ITV) so judges can conduct conferences or court hearings from miles away. New Ulm was one of the first Southwest Minnesota cities to use ITV. Other southwestern Minnesota counties including Lincoln, Lyon, Pipestone, Murray, Rock and Nobles followed New Ulm’s example.
“The use of technology in our court system is becoming more and more important as our rural communities shrink and judicial budgets tighten,” said Chief Justice Blatz. “But ITV is just a start.
“There is much more to be done to update and integrate the information systems that judges, courts and criminal justice agencies depend on,” she said.
New Ulm is just one stop of many during the three-day “Court Innovations Tour” through Southwest Minnesota. During the trip, Chief Justice Blatz and Justice James H. Gilbert will learn about innovations that improve the justice system and local communities.
“For the last 150 years, the court system has been working to become more efficient. Now it’s time to focus on being more effective,” said Chief Justice Blatz. “These tours give us a chance to learn from the experiences of jurors, litigants, victims and concerned citizens throughout the state.”
This is the second “Court Innovations Tour.” Chief Justice Blatz visited the Ninth Judicial District in Northwest Minnesota last fall. She visits a different judicial district twice a year.
The June 27-29 trip will include the following stops in Worthington, Luverne, New Ulm and Mankat
Worthington, MN
- Ribbon cutting ceremony and reception, 2 p.m., June 27, at the new Children’s Center, a child custody exchange and visitation center, at 826 Fifth Ave., Worthington. The public is encouraged to attend.
- Golden K Kiwanis Breakfast, 9 a.m., June 28, at the Worthington Country Club.
Luverne, MN
- “Meet Your Court” public reception, 10:30 a.m., June 28, at the Jim Brandenburg Gallery, 211 East Main St., Luverne. Free and open to the public. This is an opportunity to meet Chief Justice Blatz, Justice Gilbert and local judges.
- Fifth Judicial District judges and court administration meeting the afternoon of June 28 in Luverne.
New Ulm, MN
- Chief Justice Blatz pitches in to help Brown County by covering a juvenile court calendar in New Ulm at 9 a.m. June 29. Brown County has been without a District Court judge since Judge Terri Stoneburner was sworn in to the Minnesota Court of Appeals in April. The justices will be available to the media at 8:45 a.m. A brief photo opportunity will take place at 9 a.m. before hearing participants enter.
Mankato, MN
- Teen Court hearing and award ceremony, 10:30 a.m., June 29 in the Blue Earth County Courthouse, 204 South Fifth St., Mankato. Chief Justice Blatz and Justice Gilbert will present awards to students who have volunteered as jury members in the program since its inception three years ago. The justices will also observe actual Teen Court hearings. The media will be allowed to attend. However, the court asks that reporters and photographers respect the anonymity of teen participants.
- Bar association meeting and luncheon, Noon, June 29, at the Holiday Inn Downtown, Mankato. All members of the Fifth Judicial District’s bar associations are invited. Members should contact their association presidents for more information.
For biographical information about Chief Justice Blatz and Justice Gilbert, or for general information about the Minnesota State Court System, visit www.courts.state.mn.us.