Judicial accountability · Otter Tail County · Minnesota

When justice fails in public, the public deserves to know.

Justice-Denied examines whether Minnesota courts deliver the fairness the law promises. We bring the record into public view so readers can understand what happened, evaluate the courts’ reasoning, and assess whether justice was served.

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Countywide civil-jury study

A jury setting rarely became a jury trial.

Justice-Denied reviewed eight years of public court records to follow what happened after Otter Tail County civil cases received an MCRO jury-trial setting.

105 Received jury settings 100%
5 Reached jury proceedings 4.8%
4 Produced a verdict 3.8%
3 Decided contested liability 2.9%

As of August 31, 2026, 100 of 105 cases had not reached jury proceedings—nearly nineteen out of twenty.

Scope: Otter Tail County civil cases with at least one MCRO “Jury Trial” setting, May 7, 2018–August 31, 2026. This is not a percentage of every civil case filed and does not determine why each case ended.

See the cases and methodology →

When did an Otter Tail County civil jury last decide liability?

As of August 31, 2026

Judge Benson

Last identified: December 14, 2023

2 years 8 months 17 days

Judge Judd

None identified · reviewed from March 1, 2021

5 years 5 months 30 days

Judge Miller

None identified · reviewed from May 7, 2018

8 years 3 months 24 days

Judicial bias scores from 20 analyses covering 19 distinct court orders from 2021 through August 2026; negative scores favor defendants and positive scores favor plaintiffs — 20 AI-assisted analyses covering 19 distinct orders issued by Judge Kevin M. Miller, 2021–2026. Negative scores indicate bias favoring defendants; positive scores indicate bias favoring plaintiffs.

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Order-by-order analysis

What the district court orders reveal

Review the AI-assisted analysis of key rulings alongside the hearing transcripts and reasoning on which each ruling depended. For broader coverage, see the Judge Kevin M. Miller public-record profile.

Open the full bias analysis →

Independent judicial investigations review of 29 Minnesota appellate cases showing 28 addressed the issue on the merits and one deemed it forfeited — In Justice-Denied’s review of 29 Minnesota appellate cases, 28 addressed independent judicial investigation on the merits. In *Stevenson*, the issue was deemed forfeited.

Appellate comparison

The exception that demands an explanation

Compare the treatment of independent judicial investigation in this appeal with the structural-error principles applied across Minnesota cases.

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Why this site exists

A personal case. A public question.

Craig and Marie Stevenson holding a framed wedding photograph — Craig and Marie Stevenson
Married for over 36 years

This began with our family. We are Craig and Marie Stevenson of Fergus Falls, and what happened in one Otter Tail County courtroom raised questions that reach far beyond one case.

Justice-Denied documents what happened, tests the courts’ reasoning against the record, and places the evidence in public view. We provide the source material, context, and analysis readers need to reach their own conclusions.

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Latest reporting

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Revisiting Our Early AI Analyses: The Record, the Law, and Our Experience

The early analyses helped give shape to what we experienced in court. Further research has made some of our legal explanations more precise and…

The Fairness FilesNov. 6, 2026NewBy Craig StevensonRead analysis

Judge Harris’s AI Warning and Judge Miller’s False Quotation

Judge Harris warns against false AI citations. In Stevenson v. Stevenson, a false attribution to In re Lawrence survived written notice to Judge…

Distorting the LawNov. 3, 2026NewBy Craig StevensonRead analysis

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

DiscoveryNov. 2, 2026NewBy Craig StevensonRead analysis

When Judge Miller Left Disputed Facts to a Jury

The Keefe record compares Miller’s recording decision and treatment of disputed inferences with his rulings in Stevenson.

Summary JudgmentNov. 2, 2026NewBy Craig StevensonUpdated Nov. 6, 2026Read analysis

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

R&P’s foreclosure reversal restored claims and discovery questions that summary judgment had ended. Stevenson followed the same path to…

DiscoveryOct. 26, 2026NewBy Craig StevensonRead analysis

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…

Summary JudgmentOct. 26, 2026NewBy Craig StevensonRead analysis

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…

DiscoveryOct. 15, 2026By Craig StevensonUpdated Oct. 26, 2026Read analysis

The Wide Road Leads to Dismissal

Shortly after our lawsuit began, Marie and I felt destined to lose. The court record traces the decisions that narrowed the road to trial.

The Candor FilesOct. 9, 2026By Craig StevensonUpdated Oct. 29, 2026Read analysis

Minnesota judicial accountability investigations and series

Distorting the Law Independent Investigations The Candor Files The Disciplinary Files The Fairness Files The Oversight Files The Privacy Files

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