Justice-Denied · Editorial cartoons
Cartoon 20 of 26
Judicial Jeopardy: The Evidence Door
Satire. Dialogue is imagined; the underlying rulings and records are linked below.
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Panel 1: BEFORE THE DECISION
Adult litigant contestant stands at quiz-show podium beside a locked door labeled MORE EVIDENCE. Host holds the request card. The existing plaintiff-side human figure in this panel is Craig Stevenson.
Craig: Please decide our request for more evidence first.
Panel 2: THE CASE IS DECIDED FIRST
Gavel host stands beside large royal-blue clue board. MORE EVIDENCE door stays locked.
Board text: CASE DISMISSED
Panel 3:
Contestant buzzes, pointing at the still-locked door. The existing plaintiff-side human figure in this panel is Craig Stevenson.
Craig: What about our request for that evidence?
Panel 4: ON APPEAL
The gavel host is now an appellate judge in a black robe; a simple clear lectern label reads COURT OF APPEALS. He adds a second giant padlock to the MORE EVIDENCE door. The contestant stares at the two locks. The existing plaintiff-side human figure in this panel is Craig Stevenson.
Gavel host: Too late. There’s no case left.
Artwork caption: Imagined game-show dialogue. Sources in review guide.
Behind the cartoon
Craig and Marie Stevenson sought more time to question relatives about deleted text messages in their civil suit. Discovery is pretrial evidence-gathering; summary judgment is a decision without trial. Judge Kevin M. Miller reserved the request to reopen discovery until after summary judgment. The case was dismissed first; the Court of Appeals then treated the discovery motions as moot—no longer requiring a decision. The request for more evidence is a locked door that receives a second lock on appeal.
Underlying records
- December 6, 2022 order, Stevenson Doc.366pp.49-54, especially p49 first paragraph under IV: denies postponing summary judgment and reserves reopening discovery pending summary judgment because judgment may moot discovery
- June 16, 2023 order, Stevenson Doc.429p.1 order ¶2 dismisses all other pending motions and requests as moot
- Stevenson v. Stevenson, A23-1209 (April 8, 2024)p12: affirmance of summary judgment renders discovery-related motions moot; sanctions reviewed separately
Doc. 366, pp. 49–50, denies postponing summary judgment and reserves reopening discovery because judgment might moot it. Doc. 429, p. 1, paragraph 2, dismisses remaining requests as moot. The April 8, 2024 appellate opinion, p. 12, likewise treats discovery-related motions as moot after affirming summary judgment; sanctions were reviewed separately. The issue is the timing of requested additional discovery.
More record detail
Stevenson v. Stevenson, 56-CV-20-2928: Doc. 366 (December 6, 2022), pp. 49–54, especially pp. 49–50; Doc. 429 (June 16, 2023), p. 1, paragraph 2. Stevenson v. Stevenson, A23-1209 (Minn. App. April 8, 2024), p. 12 (nonprecedential).
