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Articles by

Craig Stevenson

Craig Stevenson is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Justice-Denied.org. He is President and CEO of Stevenson Technical Services, Inc. (STSI), which traces its roots to Craig’s Radio & TV, founded in 1979 and renamed STSI in 1989. He also founded and operated C&R Cable Company, Inc. from 1981 until its sale in 1989. Craig and his wife, Marie, have been marr...

Craig Stevenson

Latest reporting

Browse investigations, commentary, and records-based analysis from Craig Stevenson.

By Craig StevensonPublished October 29, 2025Updated September 4, 2026About 6 min read
Independent Investigations

A Constitutional Right to an Impartial Judge

Why a judge’s use of self-gathered facts threatens both judicial ethics and constitutional due process.

Every Minnesotan has the right to an impartial judge — one who decides cases only on the evidence presented, not on facts gathered privately or through outside inquiry. That principle may sound self-evident, but recent…
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By Craig StevensonPublished October 18, 2025Updated September 4, 2026About 7 min read
The Oversight Files

When the Judges Investigate Themselves

A misconduct complaint asks whether Minnesota’s judiciary will enforce its own rule against extra-record fact-finding.

A judicial-conduct rule has little force if the oversight system will not enforce it against members of the judiciary. On October 18, 2025, I filed a formal complaint with the Minnesota Board on Judicial Standards…
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By Craig StevensonPublished September 8, 2025Updated September 2, 2026About 10 min read
Independent Investigations

Two Opinions, One Problem

How Stevenson minimized a due-process violation that Duol later described in unmistakable terms.

Even under the law before the Minnesota Supreme Court’s September 3, 2025 decision in State v. Duol (A24-1754), the Court of Appeals’ opinion in Stevenson v. Stevenson (A25-0186) misframed and minimized a due-process…
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By Craig StevensonPublished August 31, 2025Updated August 25, 2026About 9 min read
Independent Investigations

When Judges Go Off-Record

What Minnesota appellate decisions reveal about independent investigation, extra-record facts, and inconsistent remedies.

Minnesota law is clear: judges decide cases on the record the parties create, not on facts they find themselves or “selected facts” they prefer. For years, the Minnesota Court of Appeals has treated a judge’s…
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By Craig StevensonPublished August 20, 2025Updated September 4, 2026About 7 min read
Independent Investigations

When Judges Investigate on Their Own

Why nearly identical extra-record investigations produced reversal in one case and forfeiture in another.

Two Minnesota appeals asked the same basic question: what happens when a judge relies on facts gathered outside the record? State v. Scudder resulted in reversal even without a contemporaneous objection; Stevenson v…
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By Craig StevensonPublished August 19, 2025Updated August 26, 2026About 4 min read
Independent Investigations

When Judicial Rules Apply to Some – But Not Others

When appellate concern about independent investigation depends on whose case is before the court.

One of the most basic rules of judging is simple: a judge cannot go outside the record to investigate facts. The Minnesota Code of Judicial Conduct makes this clear, and appellate courts have repeated it time and time…
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By Craig StevensonPublished August 15, 2025Updated August 23, 2026About 4 min read
Independent Investigations

When the Law Says No, But a Judge Says How Else?

Why judicial relevance cannot justify putting self-gathered facts into the record.

During oral argument in our appeal, Judge Tracy Smith asked: “And how do those facts get into the record if they're relevant to the decision on, you know, a motion that someone has brought?” On the surface, it might…
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By Craig StevensonPublished August 10, 2025Updated September 4, 2026About 3 min read
Independent Investigations

Independent Investigations – By The Numbers

What Minnesota appellate opinions reveal about forfeiture claims involving independent judicial investigation.

A search of Minnesota appellate opinions produced a stark result: 191 decisions did not treat an independent-investigation issue as forfeited. Only one did—Stevenson v. Stevenson. The 191-to-1 result is the record…
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By Craig StevensonPublished July 28, 2025Updated August 26, 2026About 4 min read
Independent Investigations

When Connections Don’t Count

How undisclosed courthouse relationships were dismissed without investigation or meaningful scrutiny.

In a decision handed down today, July 28, 2025, the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed a ruling that reeks of institutional protectionism and selective blindness. The court refused to disqualify Judge Kevin…
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By Craig StevensonPublished July 1, 2025Updated August 6, 2026About 3 min read
Independent Investigations

When Judges Cross the Line—And Still Keep the Case

A judge’s extra-record investigation prompted reversal—but not reassignment or accountability.

In a troubling opinion issued June 30, 2025, the Minnesota Court of Appeals reversed a Mille Lacs County judge for dismissing criminal charges based on improper legal standards, speculation, and what the appellate court…
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By Craig StevensonPublished June 12, 2025Updated August 21, 2026About 3 min read

Who Are You Going to Believe—Me, or Your Lying Eyes?

When documented irregularities collide with a system determined to say that nothing went wrong.

There is a famous quip, often attributed to Groucho Marx, that captures a deep and dangerous absurdity: “Who are you going to believe—me, or your lying eyes?” That’s exactly what it feels like to encounter a justice…
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By Craig StevensonPublished June 2, 2025Updated August 25, 2026About 5 min read
Summary Judgment

Two Faces of Summary Judgment

Two Minnesota appellate rulings reveal sharply different approaches to disputed facts at summary judgment.

On June 2, 2025, the Minnesota Court of Appeals issued a powerful reversal in Wakasugi v. 3M, holding that genuine issues of material fact precluded summary judgment on claims of pregnancy discrimination and retaliatory…
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About the author

Craig Stevenson

Craig Stevenson is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Justice-Denied.org. He is President and CEO of Stevenson Technical Services, Inc. (STSI), which traces its roots to Craig’s Radio & TV, founded in 1979 and renamed STSI in 1989. He also founded and operated C&R Cable Company, Inc. from 1981 until its sale in 1989. Craig and his wife, Marie, have been married for more than 36 years and are the parents of two adult daughters.