This document is made available electronically by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library as part of an ongoing digital archiving project. http://www.leg.state.mn.us/lrl/lrl.asp MINNESOTA STATE COURTS 2001-2002 ANNUAL REPORT A Message from the Chief Justice 2 Supreme Court 13 Statewide Major Case Filings 1993 - 2002 2 Supreme Court Filings 2001-2002 14 Childrens Justice 3 Supreme Court Dispositions 2001-2002 14 Access To Justice 5 Court of Appeals 15 Where Minnesotas General Fund Dollars Go 8 Court of Appeals Filings 2001-2002 16 2000-2001 Biennium Court of Appeals Dispositions 2001-2002 17 Technology 9 District Courts 18 Public Trust and Confidence 10 Current District Court Chief Judges 19 A MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF JUSTICE Minnesotas judges and court ¶ We have begun to collect data Our overriding responsibility and focus personnel strive to provide the public statewide that will help us assess remains the constitutionally with a judicial branch that is any racial bias in our system and prescribed mission to resolve disputes accessible, fair, consistent, responsive, work to eliminate it. brought to our courts. Minnesotas free of discrimination, independent, judiciary handled more than 4 million ¶ And we are targeting the problems and well managed. Committed to this cases in 2001 and 2002, and that bring people into the courts in vision, we continue to focus our work continues to try to keep pace with the first place through our specialty on four strategic areas: Childrens increasing caseloads. Five new courts, local initiatives, and Justice, Access to Justice, Technology, judgeships granted by legislators in community cooperation. and Public Trust and Confidence. the last biennium takes us one step closer to doing so, and for that we are We have made significant and exciting thankful. progress in 2001-2002: Just as the work of previous years has ¶ We continue to aggressively seek laid a foundation for this progress, so, better ways to protect our most too, will these efforts form the needy children through the backbone of our future. We will Childrens Justice Initiative and the continue to strive for a justice system creation of a statewide Guardian that wisely uses resources, meets the ad Litem system. highest standards of fairness and ¶ We are ready to roll out the accountability, and effectively provides Minnesota Court Information leadership and access to justice. System (MNCIS), which will serve as the anchor tenant of the new CriMNet integrated criminal justice Kathleen A. Blatz, information project. Chief Justice Statewide Major Case Filings 1993 - 2002 250 Criminal | +56% 200 Civil | +19% Probate | -3% 150 Family | +3% 100 . of Cases o (in thousands) Juvenile | +46% N 50 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 Year MINNESOTA STATE COURTS 2 2001 - 2002 REPORT CHILDRENS JUSTICE The Minnesota Judicial Branch recognizes the links between ¶ Holding pre-hearing conferences to identify and resolve childhood maltreatment and juvenile delinquency, and issues early in the case. adult crime. For too many children, the child protection ¶ Appointing public defenders earlier, so they can more system has become a feeder system into our adult criminal effectively represent their clients. courts. Nearly 80 percent of our nations prison inmates have had contact with the child protection system. In ¶ Implementing a policy of no continuances, thereby response, Minnesota has taken an organized approach to reducing delay. reforming the system. ¶ Producing a video for parents, children and others that explains the child protection system and procedures in Working through the eyes of the child plain English, making the system more user-friendly and Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz and the understandable. Minnesota Department of Human ¶ Eliminating cattle call hearings Services Commissioner kicked off the Childrens Justice Initiative Participating where all cases are scheduled for Childrens Justice Initiative in April Counties the same time, allowing more time 2001. The five-year effort seeks to per hearing. improve child protection case 2001: processing and outcomes, and provide Carver Otter Tail ¶ Coordinating vertical representation, permanent homes for maltreated Chippewa Ramsey so judges, social workers, public childrenthrough reunification or Crow Wing Stearns defenders and Guardians ad Litem placement with another familyin a Faribault St. Louis stay with the same family and are more timely manner. Hennepin (Duluth) familiar with the case. Kanabec Washington ¶ Adjusting schedules to reduce Lead judges in participating counties Olmsted Appellate delays, and improving the uniformity have formed teams of people from Courts of reports. the juvenile courts, social services 2002: departments, county attorneys and Aitkin Nicollet Shining light into the public defenders offices, court Blue Earth Sherburne administration, Guardian ad Litem Brown St. Louis process programs, and others involved in child Clay (Hibbing/ On July 1, 2002, the judiciary allowed abuse and neglect cases. Each team Itasca Virginia) public access to child protection studies how its county currently Kandiyohi Todd hearings and records statewide to processes child protection cases. La Qui Parle Waseca shine light into the process, improve Using national best practices LeSueur Yellow accountability, and help us do a better guidelines, the teams implement Mille Lacs Medicine job for abused and neglected children. changes to better meet the needs of Mower The Supreme Court order mandating children. By 2005, all 87 counties in public access followed a three-year the state will have participated in the pilot project in 12 counties. countrys first statewide child protection court reform effort. In its first year, the Childrens Justice Initiative counties According to the National Center for State Courts, the pilot worked on the following: project led to a slight increase in attendance at hearings by extended family members; showed no harm to children; ¶ Meeting state and federal timelines for finding permanent enhanced professional accountability; and showed that homes for children. media were responsible in their coverage of these cases. ¶ Issuing orders at each hearing, so parties are aware of The Courts action has since led to local and national media timelines and expectations, minimizing confusion and coverage of child protection issues. keeping cases on track. MINNESOTA STATE COURTS 3 2001 - 2002 REPORT Opening lines to children and oversight; judicial district administered; and locally operated. In September 2002, Washington Countys Childrens Justice Initiative began training volunteers for its new Kids Call To help fill the gap in the meantime, Chief Justice Kathleen and Child Protection Voluntary Mediation programs. Kids Blatz initiated a Pro Bono Challenge for Kids project in Call volunteer attorneys provide immediate information summer 2001 to recruit attorneys and law firm personnel about legal proceedings by telephone to children who have as volunteer Guardians in Hennepin and Ramsey counties. been placed outside the home on a 72-hour health and During two phases, the Challenge recruited 195 volunteers. welfare hold. Upon request, Child Protection Voluntary During an upcoming third phase, the Challenge will recruit Mediation more quickly resolves child protection and volunteers from local corporations. termination of parental rights cases in a non-adversarial Minnesota has become a national role model because it manner. It is expected to improve court order compliance requires Guardians to undergo extensive training prior to and increase cooperation between the family and county their first appointment, attend continuing education Department of Community Services. Supreme Court Justice Alan Page answers students questions about the court sytem at Christa McAuliffe Elementary School in Hastings, MN. programs, and conduct investigations and evaluations Building a stronger system according to preset standards. In the past, Minnesotas Guardian ad Litem system has consisted of a patchwork quilt of nearly 60 different Responding more quickly programs that provide trained volunteers or other paid The judiciary has taken steps to make sure our most needy professionals to represent the best interests of abused children are not waiting for permanent homes. Updates to and neglected children in court. In 2000, 40 percent of court rules require district courts to provide transcripts to abused children had no Guardian, or advocate, though the higher court in the case of an appeal within 30 days state and federal law required it. Because of the efforts instead of the usual 60 days. The Court of Appeals is of judges and court staff, legislative funding and the Pro required by court rules to issue its opinions on child Bono Challenge for Kids, that gap has closed to 20 percent. protection cases within 60 days, compared to the 90 days Our goal is to reach 100 percent coverage on abuse and required by statutes. The Supreme Court has initiated an neglect cases by 2005, as resources and budget allow. internal policy of expediting child protection cases as well. We are building a Guardian ad Litem system that is state funded, supervised and supported with consistent training MINNESOTA STATE COURTS 4 2001 - 2002 REPORT ACCESS TO JUSTICE Each Minnesota judge handles nearly reported race data at the first court addressing chemical use and 8,000 cases each year, and if the last appearance in traffic, criminal and addiction amongst juveniles. The 25 years are any indication, judges juvenile cases.