State of the Judiciary: Strong but strained.
Byline: Kevin Featherly
The state of Minnesota's judiciary is strong, but it faces immense challenges and strains. To get through the tough times, people must work together.
That was the message from Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea, who spoke via video link during the Minnesota State Bar Association's annual convention last week.
The June 25 virtual event also featured the formal introduction of Dyan Ebert as new MSBA president and a farewell to outgoing President Tom Nelson, who served for the past year. American Bar Association President Judy Perry Martinez gave closing remarks, emphasizing the need to diversify the bar.
But Gildea's speech was the day's main event. "I want you to know that the state of the judiciary in Minnesota is strong," she said. "We are resolved and we are resilient."
Gidea, marking her 10th year as chief justice, said that nothing prepared her for 2020a year when a global pandemic all but closed courthouses for months and when Minnesota became the epicenter of a national racial-equity crisis after George Floyd died in police custody.
On the horizon looms the prospect of legislative budget cuts necessitated by a projected $2.4 billion deficit in the current biennium and potentially significant deficits in the years after that.
"I fear the impact these difficult decisions could have on our courts and broader justice system," Gildea said. "The people who rely on our courts can ill afford to see budget cuts and freezes hamper our ability to address the long-term impacts of this pandemic."
She called on members of the bench and bar to stay flexible as the changing picture continues to develop. She also asked lawyers to make themselves heard by political candidates and elected officials about the need to adequately fund the courts.
"We have been able to weather this once-in-a-lifetime crisis because our courts have been well-supported by the governor and Legislature in recent sessions," Gildea said. "But we risk serious damage to our justice systemand major delays for attorneys and court usersif that support disappears as we move into this next critical phase of our pandemic response."
She also struck a note of cautious optimism. "As they say: 'On the other side of a storm is the strength that comes from having navigated through it,'" Gildea told lawyers.
Her talk largely focused on three themes: the effects of and response to the pandemic; court efforts to achieve equitable justice; and several...
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