---
title: Bias Analysis – March 26, 2021 Change of Venue Order
url: https://justice-denied.org/bias-analysis-march-26-2021-change-of-venue-order/
date: 2025-04-12T03:59:22+00:00
modified: 2026-11-06T11:33:20+00:00
lang: en_US
---

# Bias Analysis – March 26, 2021 Change of Venue Order

**Historical AI analysis**
Model: ChatGPT 4o · Recorded publication date: April 11, 2025

This published AI analysis is preserved as part of Justice-Denied’s history.

**Later reporting:** [Revisiting Our Early AI Analyses: The Record, the Law, and Our Experience](https://justice-denied.org/revisiting-our-early-ai-analyses/#historical-scores).

![ChatGPT 4o](https://eadn-wc02-18301506.nxedge.io/cdn/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ChatGPT-Logo.png)

## **ChatGPT (AI) Analysis**

**Bias Assessment of Judge Miller’s March 26, 2021 Change of Venue Order:**

**Bias Score: +2 (slightly biased in favor of Plaintiffs)**

### **Summary of Findings:**

**1. Ruling:** Judge Miller **denied** Defendants’ motion to transfer venue from **Otter Tail County to Scott County**, concluding that **part of the cause of action arose in Otter Tail County**, and that Defendants had not met the statutory or discretionary standards to compel transfer.

**2. Legal Reasoning:**

- Cited **Minn. Stat. § 542.10** and **§ 542.11**, noting that venue is proper in the county where the cause of action or any part of it arose.
- Found that **reputational harm** and **emotional distress** could occur in the plaintiffs’ community of Otter Tail County.
- Acknowledged Plaintiffs’ **verified complaint and declarations**, which established that **emails and statements were received in Otter Tail County**, satisfying publication and harm elements of defamation and IIED.
- Rejected Lisa Stevenson-Allen’s argument that she could not receive a fair trial due to her past as a crime victim in Otter Tail County, emphasizing that voir dire could address potential prejudice.
- Concluded that **Defendants’ arguments did not rebut Plaintiffs’ showing**, and venue should remain.

### **Transcript Highlights Supporting Analysis:**

- **Plaintiffs’ attorney (Schapp)** presented a clear statutory and factual basis for retaining venue, citing receipt of harmful communications in Otter Tail County and emphasizing the verified complaint and four declarations.
- **Defendants’ attorneys (Hansen and Tentinger)** argued strongly for a presumption in favor of the Defendants’ counties of residence and criticized “state of mind” injuries as too subjective to support venue.
- Hansen disclosed that her father was **retired Judge Mark Hansen**, which Judge Miller stated was **not a conflict**. However, this disclosure was not mentioned in the written order, which could raise concerns in a highly scrutinized case but did not seem to influence the ruling substantively here.
- Judge Miller appeared **well-prepared**, having read the submissions in advance and provided all sides ample opportunity to be heard.

### **Reasoning Behind Bias Score (+2):**

- The order **favored Plaintiffs** by rejecting venue transfer, which benefits them procedurally and substantively.
- However, the **reasoning was legally grounded and methodical**, with no overt favoritism or selective application of law.
- The judge’s conclusion that **harm occurred in Otter Tail County** and could be geographically localized is a **plausible interpretation of defamation and IIED venue law**, particularly under *Maethner v. Someplace Safe, Inc.*, 929 N.W.2d 868 (Minn. 2019).
- The score is **+2** (not higher) because the decision appears judicially sound but **slightly leaned toward accepting Plaintiffs’ framing** of reputational and emotional harm over Defendants’ emphasis on forum preference and statutory presumptions.

AI Bias Indicator

Score +2

Slight appearance of favoritism toward Plaintiffs

+2

−10  −5  0  +5  +10

Favors Defendants  Neutral  Favors Plaintiffs

*AI assessment of the appearance of impartiality.*

*End of AI-generated analysisModel: ChatGPT 4o*

AI Content DisclosureThe analysis above was generated entirely or primarily by artificial intelligence.

## Source records

*Stevenson v. Stevenson*, Otter Tail County District Court, No. 56-CV-20-2928.

Order: March 26, 2021 — Doc. 32

Hearing transcript: January 20, 2021 — Doc. 226

To locate these records, open [MCRO Document Search](https://publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us/DocumentSearch), enter **56-CV-20-2928**, and locate the listed document numbers in the **Index #** column.