Month: March 2020

Here is a link to a great resource prepared by LawHelpMN for self-represented litigants.  It explains things in understandable terms.  For all you mental health professionals who have patients with whom you work who have questions, but not attorneys, this is a great resource. Fact Sheet

This is a link to guidelines for separated parents who are co-parenting during the COVID-19 epidemic which were jointly prepared by the AFCC and AAML.  They are common sense ideas for people who are afraid for their children’s safety during these times.  The current uncertainty creates challenges for parents who are co-parenting and particularly for Read more…

The Minnesota Judicial Council, the policymaking body of the Minnesota Judicial Branch, held an emergency meeting on Friday, March 13, 2020 to discuss Emergency Executive Order 20-01; Declaring a Peacetime Emergency and Coordinating Minnesota’s Strategy to Protect Minnesotans from COVID-19. Following that meeting, Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea issued a statewide order, effective Monday, March Read more…

In light of the current necessity of reduced access to the district courts, a new form of ADR is available starting today in the 4th judicial district: Remote Expedited Temporary Relief (“RETR”). It is anticipated that other judicial districts will soon follow. Please see the Program Description and Order.

Our annual conference planning committee has pivoted its efforts and will focus on developing community chats, a facilitated, interactive, remote access program which will occur on each Friday beginning April 3.  The first topic is entitled Emerging Use of Remote ADR During COVID-19: An interactive online discussion facilitated by Carl Arnold. The program is described Read more…

The order Chief Justice Gildea signed today takes effect Monday, March 23, 2020. Among other provisions, the order: ·       Suspends most in-person district court proceedings for the next 30 days. Exceptions include jury trials that have already commenced; grand jury proceedings in which the grand jury is currently taking evidence; and a specific list of adult Read more…

Attached is a letter Chief Justice Gildea has written legislative leaders and the Governor seeking to toll various statutes of limitations during the period of time the Governor’s State of Emergency is in effect.  Although the courts remain open for some matters, access to the courts and the ability of individuals to access or preserve Read more…

The following is Chief Justice Gildea’s order regarding how the courts will operate following Governor Walz’s declaration of a peacetime emergency.  The list at the end of the order is the definitive list for what cases will be postponed.  This takes effect on Monday March 16, 2020.  Court staff will be notifying parties and counsel Read more…

Dear friends: As you know, the nation, our state and our community are quickly responding to rapidly developing events related to COVID-19.  Out of an abundance of caution we are going to postpone our Lunch and Learn scheduled for today at the St. Paul Courthouse. This event will be postponed to a date when Tanja Read more…

I’m enormously grateful that you decided to license my documentary, Broken Places, and I hope it is resonating with your viewers.  I wanted to let you know that PBS will broadcast the film on April 6th at 10pm(check local listings).  Broken Places is my 33rd national public television documentary and represents the culmination of four decades of bringing PBS viewers Read more…