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Summary Judgment

Justice-Denied.org articles examining summary-judgment standards, disputed facts, evidentiary inferences, Rule 56 procedure, and appellate review.

Articles in this topic

Browse the reporting, commentary, source records, and analysis collected under this subject. Newest articles appear first.

By Craig StevensonPublished November 2, 2026About 20 min read
The Fairness Files

The Civil Case Funnel: How Judges Narrow the Road to Trial

Ten procedural decisions can shape what survives long before a civil case reaches trial.

A guide to ten procedural decisions that can narrow a Minnesota civil case before trial, with a funnel graphic, documented case examples, and a reading guide.
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By Craig StevensonPublished November 2, 2026Updated November 6, 2026About 8 min read

When Judge Miller Left Disputed Facts to a Jury

The Keefe record puts Judge Miller’s own words about recordings, evidence, and jury questions beside his rulings in Stevenson v. Stevenson.

The Keefe record compares Miller’s recording decision and treatment of disputed inferences with his rulings in Stevenson.
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By Craig StevensonPublished October 26, 2026About 11 min read
Summary Judgment

When Summary Judgment Makes Discovery Disappear: R&P and Stevenson

A foreclosure reversal shows how summary judgment and discovery can turn on a court’s treatment of sworn evidence.

R&P’s foreclosure reversal restored claims and discovery questions that summary judgment had ended. Stevenson followed the same path to mootness, with the opposite appellate result. The district records show how the assessment of evidence controls what…
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By Craig StevensonPublished October 26, 2026About 9 min read

Same Concern, Different Response: Azure v. Bucholz

Azure v. Bucholz, an Otter Tail County contract case, presents a narrow but revealing question: how did Judge Kevin M. Miller respond when a represented plaintiff and a self-represented defendant raised nearly the same practical concern? Brian Azure v. Jennie…
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By Craig StevensonPublished October 15, 2026Updated October 26, 2026About 12 min read

Two Cases, One Pattern of Narrowing? Comparing Stevenson and Svendsen

Compare Judge Kevin M. Miller’s rulings in Stevenson and Svendsen on discovery limits and summary judgment, with court orders and official transcripts.
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By Craig StevensonPublished September 10, 2026Updated October 27, 2026About 16 min read
The Fairness Files

The Discovery–Summary Judgment Loop

When narrowing a case creates the lack of evidence later used to keep it from a jury.

When courts narrow claims, restrict discovery, and later cite the resulting lack of evidence, procedure can become a closed loop that keeps facts from a jury.
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By Craig StevensonPublished September 4, 2026Updated October 27, 2026Main article: About 12 min read
The Fairness Files

How Often Does a Civil Case Reach an Otter Tail County Jury?

An eight-year review of 105 scheduled civil jury cases shows how rarely Otter Tail County jurors are asked to decide the facts.

An MCRO review found only four verdicts among 105 Otter Tail County civil cases with jury settings from May 2018 through August 2026.
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By Craig StevensonPublished September 2, 2026Updated October 27, 2026About 20 min read
The Fairness Files

Before a Jury Hears the Facts: Three Cases at a Procedural Crossroads

Three civil cases trace different paths toward—or away from—a jury. One has now settled before its pending motion was heard.

Svendsen, Starkebaum, and Wynn trace three paths toward—or away from—a civil jury, including Wynn's settlement before its summary-judgment hearing.
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By Craig StevensonPublished August 25, 2026Updated October 29, 2026About 17 min read
Summary Judgment

The Summary Judgment Myth

Judges can end claims—and entire cases—without a trial. Rule 56 forbids them from choosing disputed facts to reach that result. The myth is that the prohibition always prevents it.

Six summary judgment myths obscure Rule 56: courts may end cases without trial, but cannot weigh evidence, choose disputed facts, or draw adverse inferences.
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By Marie StevensonPublished February 10, 2026Updated September 12, 2026About 12 min read
Summary Judgment

When Truth Is Moot

When conflicting sworn testimony reached the court—and the court chose not to confront it.

Should a person’s conflicting testimony under oath be scrutinized by a District Court? That question shouldn’t be controversial. And yet, in our case, the judge chose to look away. This isn’t theoretical. We have…
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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.