2003 ANNUAL REPORT A Message From the Chief Justice The Minnesota Judicial Branch children with advocates in court ¶ Continuing the transformation of the enjoyed many milestones in 2003 as despite budget challenges and other Judicial Branch with the transfer of our judges and court personnel constraints. the Second (Ramsey County) and continue to focus on four strategic Fourth (Hennepin County) judicial ¶ Seeing concrete results from the areas: Access to Justice, Childrens districts from county to state funding. work of the Childrens Justice Justice, Technology, and Public Trust Initiative, the countrys first But we do not intend to rest on these and Confidence. These milestones statewide reform of the child accomplishments. The Judicial include: protection system. Branch continues to search for new ¶ Launching the Minnesota Court opportunities to better serve the public, Information System (MNCIS) in three more effectively target the problems counties and preparing to roll out that bring people into court in the first the system statewide. MNCIS will place, and use our budget as link court records, improving efficiently as ever. information sharing among courts The budget challenges faced by the and law enforcement agencies. state in 2003 have impacted the ¶ Reviewing initial data collected judiciary as well. Yet, we remain statewide that will help us assess committed to and focused on our racial disparities in the court system overriding responsibility our so we can work to eliminate them. constitutionally prescribed mission of We also marked the 10th resolving the more than 2 million anniversary of the judiciarys work disputes brought to our courts each toward erasing racial bias in our year. In doing so, we will continue to courts. strive for a justice system that meets the highest standards of fairness and ¶ Creating a statewide Guardian ad accountability, and that provides Litem system that is better able to Kathleen A. Blatz, access to justice for all Minnesotans. provide abused and neglected Chief Justice Table of Contents: 2 A Message from the Chief Justice 13 Supreme Court Dispositions 2003 (Chart) 3 Exploring Alternative Solutions to Increasing Caseloads 13 Supreme Court Filings 2003 (Chart) 5 Statewide Major Case Filings (Chart) 14 Court of Appeals 6 Access To Justice 15 Court of Appeals Dispositions Public Trust and Confidence 7 2003 (Chart) 10 Childrens Justice 15 Court of Appeals Filings 2003 10 Where Minnesotas General Fund (Chart) Dollars Go 2003 Biennium (Chart) 16 District Courts 12 Improving Technology 16 Current District Court Chief 13 Supreme Court Judges MINNESOTA JUDICIAL BRANCH 2 2003 ANNUAL REPORT Exploring Alternative Solutions to Increasing Caseloads Each Minnesota judge handles nearly 8,000 cases a year, a job or work toward a high school diploma, and pay and the court system expects to see caseloads continue restitution and program fees. to increase. Statewide, major criminal cases alone have Ramsey Countys Juvenile Substance Abuse Court is in its increased 15 percent in the past five years. Meanwhile, second year and its graduates have shown a recidivism rate state revenues have decreased, forcing all branches of of about one-fifth the levels of other juvenile criminal government to use resources more carefully. The Judicial defendants. The court has also led to longer sobriety for Branch continues to search for alternative solutions to graduates. resolve disputes efficiently and that better serve the public. Ramsey County District Court is also training and helping Fighting Drug and Alcohol Abuse Hennepin and Dakota counties start their own substance abuse courts. Statewide Chisago County In 2003, seven drug courts operated in Minnesota, including Hennepin Countys adult program, Ramsey Countys adult Chisago County District Court formed a countywide and juvenile programs, Dodge Countys adult and juvenile committee to improve how the justice system addresses programs, Stearns Countys adult program and St. Louis juvenile chemical dependency issues. The committee Countys adult program. Six additional counties in the state includes judges, probation agents, human services have begun planning for new drug courts, which have been personnel, prosecutors, public defenders, school officials, found to reduce recidivism and help offenders find the help representatives of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, law they need to get their lives back on track. enforcement agencies, treatment facilities and the community. The court has also taught programs about Minnesota has also formed a state drug chemical abuse and has changed the court team that includes representatives juvenile court process to decrease delays from the courts, corrections and public between the dates of offense and the safety departments, public defenders, first court appearance. county attorneys, state legislators and others. Team members will be trained in Hennepin County 2004 to support the expansion of drug Hennepin County juveniles with offenses courts and help develop alcohol and that involve chemical use are placed on other drug policy. a special court calendar so the court can Ramsey County more efficiently and effectively help them overcome their chemical dependency. As Ramsey Countys Adult Substance Abuse a result, young people receive chemical Court received nearly $500,000 from health assessments and referrals, and the U.S. Department of Justice to follow-up reviews in court that help them continue its work started in October avoid future offenses. 2002. The court integrates chemical health services with the criminal justice Disputes for Families in system and uses best practices such as Ramsey County District Need comprehensive assessment, gender- Court Judge Joanne Smith specific programming and skill-building announces a U.S. Stearns County District Court, along with programs. Once involved in the one- to Department of Justice the countys Volunteer Attorney Program two-year program, offenders must make grant given to the Adult and members of the private bar, have Substance Abuse Court regular court appearances, undergo formed the Volunteer Family Mediation during a press conference substance abuse training and random Program to provide free mediation to low- at the Ramsey County urinalysis testing, abide by the laws, find income families. The program focuses Courthouse. on disputes over parent-child visits and MINNESOTA JUDICIAL BRANCH 3 2003 ANNUAL REPORT on families seeking simplified divorces. Twenty-one attorneys, ¶ Creating a one-stop location for citizens to pay fines or including retired Ramsey County District Judge Charles Flinn, negotiate payment schedules; have volunteered. ¶ Renovating the county law library to enhance legal research; Resolving Violations, Giving Back to the Community ¶ Restructuring court check-in and creating a staging area for people involved in arraignment hearings to reduce More than 700 people served their community to resolve courthouse confusion and congestion. outstanding adult traffic charges and misdemeanor traffic warrants during a summer Hennepin County Restorative Chippewa, Lac Qui Parle, Yellow Justice Initiative. The district court Medicine Counties hosted the event with The Tri-County Arraignment communities of faith, non-profit Initiative, a cooperative effort organizations, and business and among the three western neighborhood organizations. Minnesota counties, has Participants completed com- increased efficiency, reduced munity service the same day the travel and trial costs, and led to court ordered it. Representatives prompt resolution of criminal from various agencies were also cases. Under the system, available to help participants with arraignments are held on certain drivers licenses, birth certificates, days in certain counties, which Social Security issues, legal serv- alleviates scheduling conflicts, ices for Family Court, chemical brings all of the parties together health concerns, housing and in one location and facilitates employment. settlement negotiations. The result is faster case res- Increasing olution and less time in court Accountability, Saving District Court Judge Paul Nelson despite increasing caseloads explains the Tri-County Arraignment and budget constraints. For Taxpayer Money Initiative during a press conference example, while Chippewa at the Chippewa County Courthouse Sherburne County Countys major criminal filings in Montevideo while Supreme Court Sherburne County District Courts Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz (seated, have increased 84 percent in Individual Assignment Calendar right) and Supreme Court Justice Alan the past five years and minor and other initiatives have Page (seated, left) listen in. criminal filings have increased succeeded in increasing 55 percent, the number of accountability, saving taxpayer criminal cases resolved within money and litigation expenses, and reducing disruption in four, six and 12 months remain the lives of people involved in disputes. The individual higher than the statewide average. assignment calendar, in which one judge follows a case from beginning to end, has significantly reduced the number Improving Criminal Court Efficiency, of necessary jury trials and increased the rate of early case Security resolutions by as much as 83 percent. Steele County District Court opened a fully functional Other improvements include: courtroom in the new county detention center that will be used for prisoner-related hearings. The courtroom allows ¶ Establishing in-court electronic calendars and computer- unruly prisoners to