Seeking Justice

Is justice a constitutional right guaranteed to all
or a privilege granted or withheld by those in power?

Drawing from our experience with a lawsuit in Otter Tail County, this website takes a critical look at Minnesota’s judicial system. We examine how fairness, impartiality, and public trust are affected by legal processes, ethical obligations, judicial oversight, and broader systemic issues. This is an ongoing project.

As Justice Louis Brandeis once said, “Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.”

Our goal is to shine light into areas long left in the dark — promoting transparency, accountability, and fairness in Minnesota’s courts. By exploring these challenges, we hope to foster informed conversations and drive meaningful reform.

“The quest for truth
should alarm no one.”

Craig S. Stevenson

Artificial Intelligence:

This website uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliver fair, neutral, and objective analysis.

AI reviews of judicial orders and decisions aim to align with prevailing law and assess whether all parties were treated fairly and impartially, consistent with the Minnesota Code of Judicial Conduct.

AI-generated content is clearly marked with a green border.

Our current AI analyses are powered by ChatGPT from OpenAI.

Citations:

Citations to public court documents are denoted by the document number and the location. For example: (Doc. 429, at 22-25.)

Unless otherwise noted, these document numbers correspond to the index number on the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) website for case number 56-CV-20-2928. Most of these documents are publicly available to the general public.

Citations to confidential court documents are denoted by using red text. For example: (Doc. 316.) These documents are not available to the general public.

Case law citations are denoted by italicized text. For example: Complaint Concerning Winton, 350 N.W.2d 337, 340 (Minn. 1984)

Hyperlinks:

Blue text is used to denote a hyperlink, which takes you to another website or to a different page or location on this website when clicked.

The text [Our Case] is used to denote a link to a page on this website that details our own experience regarding a particular issue.

Quotations:

Quotations by legal authorities and famous persons are denoted by a text box with a gold background.

Quotations from public court documents, Minnesota Statutes, Secondary Legal Authorities, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) queries are denoted by a blue vertical bar. For example:

Honesty is a minimum qualification expected of every judge.

In re Conduct of Karasov, 805 N.W.2d 255, 276 (Minn. 2011)

“The truth is in the gaps.”

Craig S. Stevenson

Topics We Plan to Investigate:

Attorney Conduct

Topic

What Professional Rules Govern Attorney Conduct?

Can false statements to the Court impact the outcome of a decision?

Are attorneys held to high ethical standards?

Do attorneys tell the truth during court proceedings?

Examples

[MN Rules]

Planned

Discovery & Evidence Handling

Topic

Are Independent Medical Examination Rules Applied Consistently in Court?

Did the Court Properly Deny the Motion to Amend?

Is Unequal Treatment Undermining the Discovery Process?

Are Discovery Rules Applied Consistently in Civil Lawsuits?

Should a Court Deny Discovery Extensions Based on Outdated or Out-of-State Case Law?

Was It Improper to Use an Undisclosed Document During a Deposition?

Did Delays and Omissions in the Forensic Report Undermine the Case?

What are the Consequences for the Coordinated Deletion of Evidence?

Are Privilege Rulings Applied Consistently?

How serious is the deletion or destruction of evidence?

What are the consequences for lying during a deposition?

Examples

[Our Case]

Planned

Judge Kevin M. Miller

Topic

Judge Miller's Orders (AI Analysis)

Examples

[Our Case]

Judicial Conduct

Topic

What Rules and Ethical Guidelines Must Judges Follow?

What Happens When a Judge Misapplies the Summary Judgment Standard?

Is the Consistent Application of Material Facts Essential in Summary Judgment Decisions?

Can a Judge Set Aside Undisputed Material Facts in Summary Judgment?

Did the Court Misapply the Restatement of Torts?

Does a Judge's Relationship with Attorneys and Clerks Undermine Impartiality?

Did the Court’s Language Cross the Line from Neutral to Disparaging?

Can a Court Ignore Forensic Evidence of Deleted Messages?

Can Contradictory Testimony Be Ignored at Summary Judgment?

Can a False Theft Accusation Be Considered Defamation?

Did the Court Overlook Key Evidence When Dismissing an Emotional Distress Claim?

Can Omitting Key Words from Quotes Distort Legal Findings?

Does Omitting Key Case Law Language Skew the Defamation Analysis?

Could Overlooking Critical Evidence Compromise Judicial Impartiality?

Did the Court Mischaracterize Evidence and Overlook Key Backup Data?

Can a Court Ignore Cited Case Law Supporting a Claim?

Did the Court Overlook Critical Spoliation Evidence in Granting Summary Judgment?

Was Critical Evidence Overlooked in a Summary Judgment Ruling?

Was the Court’s Ruling Driven by Outcome-Based Jurisprudence?

Can a Court Grant Summary Judgment While Ignoring Key Evidence?

Distorting Justice: Ellipses and Omitted Facts in Otter Tail County

Did the Court Overlook an LPCC’s Role in Case Dismissal?

Did the Court Mischaracterize Testimony and Ignore Evidence Deletion?

Can a Judge Cherry-Pick Facts at Summary Judgment?

Are judges truly fair and impartial?

Do judges have sufficient time to properly evaluate each case?

Examples

[MN Code]

[Our Case]

[Our Case 1]
[Our Case 2]
[Our Case 3]

[Our Case]

Planned

Privacy and Confidentiality

Topic

Why Were Protective Order Violations Ignored During the Case?

Can Courts Misapply Case Law to Override Spousal Privilege?

Examples

[Our Case]

Systemic Issues

Topic

Does the Minnesota Court of Appeals Review All Cases Thoroughly?

Is Appeals Court Affirmance a Review or a Rubber Stamp?

Was Judgment Properly Entered Only After a Writ Was Filed?

Is the judicial system in Minnesota fundamentally fair?

What is outcome-based jurisprudence?

What ethical obligations do court employees have?

Do district courts communicate with appeals courts about ongoing cases?

Does the Minnesota Supreme Court review all cases?

What is the significance of a Supreme Court denial of a petition for review?

Examples

[Our Case]

Planned

Four things belong to a judge: to hear courteously, to answer wisely, to consider soberly, and to decide impartially.

Socrates (Greek Philosopher)

The most sacred of the duties of a government [is] to do equal and impartial justice to all its citizens.

Thomas Jefferson