News Item
Justice Coaltion in Rochester Thursday
Posted: Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Justice
Coalition: Cuts Threaten Public Safety in Southeastern Minnesota
Members of the Coalition to Preserve
Minnesota’s Justice System will hold a news conference Thursday, February 12,
at the Olmsted County Courthouse in Rochester to express their concerns about
the impact of proposed funding cuts to the justice system.
Chief Justice Eric J. Magnuson
formed the coalition in 2008 in response to concerns about the growing
inability of the state’s justice system to keep up with the more than 2 million
cases filed each year and a proposal to cut funding by as much as 10 percent.
“Our justice system is at the tipping point,”
said Chief Justice Eric J. Magnuson. “Underfunding and budget cuts have left
courts, public defense, and the justice system, generally, short-staffed and
overwhelmed with their caseloads. Public
service windows are closed part of each week in many courthouses, services have
been cut and civil and criminal case delays are building throughout the state.”
In addition to Chief
Justice Magnuson, also scheduled to speak are: Third Judicial District Chief
Judge William Johnson; Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem; Olmsted County
Sheriff Steven VonWald; State Public Defender John Stuart; and Mark Delehanty , Board Member, Civil Legal Services.
Who: Coalition to Preserve Minnesota’s
Justice System: Minnesota Judicial Branch, Minnesota District Judges
Association, Minnesota Association for Court Management, Minnesota Board of
Public Defense, Minnesota State Bar Association, Minnesota State Bar
Association Civil Litigation Section, Minnesota County Attorneys Association,
Minnesota Urban County Attorneys Association, Minnesota City Attorneys
Association, Hennepin County Bar Association, Ramsey County Bar association,
Civil Legal Services, Teamsters, AFSCME, Minnesota Sheriff’s Association,
Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, Minnesota Association of Verbatim
Reporters and Captioners, League of Women Voters, WATCH
What: News Conference
When: 1:30 p.m. Thursday,
February 12, 2009
Where: Courtroom 5, Olmsted County Courthouse,
151 Fourth Street SE, Rochester