MINNESOTA ASSOCIATION

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1 MINNESOTA ASSOCIATION FOR COURT MANAGEMENT REFLECTIONS Volume 3, Issue 2 May through July AS THE COURT TURNS - PRESERVING OUR PEOPLE AND OUR PURPOSE The Minnesota Association for Court Managers Conference was held June 8-10th in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The conference kicked off with a breakfast for new members, first time conference attendees and the Executive Board. This breakfast was an opportunity for new members and first time attendees to get to know more about the wonderful opportunities that MACM provides. The conference opened with some words from our President, Susan Love. Susan expressed gratitude to the MACM Committee Chairs and members for their hard work in putting together the I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : 2011 MACM Conf MACM Awards 6-8 District Updates View from the Bench Conf. Pictures 24 programming for this year s annual conference. Leadership - Credibility in Action The morning keynote speaker, Judge Kevin Burke launched the MACM annual conference with a focus on leadership and the people of the courts. Throughout his thought provoking presentation he zeroed in on specific aspects of great leadership as well as the myths that all too often lead to poor leadership. Honorable Kevin Burke Judge Burke started with outlining the history of the perception of court administration and dissatisfaction of the management of courts. In this area, he also touched on the various cultures that we as administrators deal with and how to best approach these cultures. He cited the fact that the Minnesota Judicial Branch is facing its most difficult time in its history. In order to lead the branch through this time we must ensure procedural fairness, focus on how to satisfy employee needs, and use evidence as a basis for court leadership. One must not be imprisoned by the myths of employee morale. These are: I m a leader, I can motivate; Fear is a good motivator; I m okay, it is them I need to worry about; Increased pay equals increased moral, and finally; People are good, honest and will always perform to the best of their ability. Once the leader gets around these myths they should focus on how to motivate people to come to work, curiosity in the organization is a good thing, culture of courageous conversations needs to be fostered in order to have true open dialogue, and the ability to discern the real problems is needed. Overall Judge Burke left the managers and leaders of the Minnesota Court system with many challenges, but also many (Continued on page 2)

2 P a g e 2 M A C M R E F L E C T I O N S 2011 AS THE COURT TURNS - PRESERVING OUR PEOPLE AND OUR PURPOSE - Continued from Page 1 tools that will be useful in transforming the future of the courts. \ A session entitled: Facebook, Twitter, You Tube: What s all the Hype about? with a focus on social media was presented by Nora Sydow, Sr Analyst in the Knowledge & Information Services Division at the National Center for State Courts. This session provided an overview of social media and different types of social media such as Facebook, where you create your own profile and then create a network to communicate, participate and connect with family and friends. Ms Sydow indicated that 46% of adults use social networking sites. She also talked about a business related social networking site called LinkedIn, a network to build connections with other professionals that you meet to exchange information, ideas and opportunities. Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service to send and read messages called tweets, which is a text message up to 140 characters. YouTube is used to post videos and Flicker is an online site to share photographs. Some courts in other states are using social media programs to include both useful resources and requests for information from the courts. State of the Court Address The Chief Justice attended the conference to communicate how far we ve come in the past year and what our function is. She indicated the courts exist to give people a chance at justice, and emphasized that we do that every day. Although we do not have a budget yet, she s working with the governor and others as well as having formed a strategy team to assist in her primary goal of getting our budget passed. The Chief Justice outlined why she s celebrating and all we ve done in this fiscal year. The most important being the Court Payment Center which includes the Call Center, citation entry and the accounting unit in Willmar. This initiative will be completed on time and on budget. The court s vision for the future is e-everything: e-citations, e- charging, e-civil filings, imaging, etc. She thanked the MACM members for contacting legislators, meeting with them and demonstrating hands on the technologies we currently are using, it made a difference. She s so impressed at our professional, can do attitudes and can t thank us enough. She indicated the best way to predict the future is to create it. Court Security - Protecting the People and the Place in Our Justice System Lt. Pete Sichko reviewed portions of the Minnesota Sheriff s Association Court Security training and played videos regarding court security incidents as well as videos portraying homemade guns, knives, disguised weapons and hiding contraband in a water bottle. He emphasized the keys to good court security are communication, planning and intuition. (Continued on page 3)

3 P a g e 3 M A C M R E F L E C T I O N S 2011 AS THE COURT TURNS - PRESERVING OUR PEOPLE AND OUR PURPOSE - Continued from Page 2 Effectively evaluating, planning and proactively managing threats as well as potential threats is very important. Another point to remember, when an incident occurs in the courtroom, hit the panic button and get out! He described a shooting incident that occurred in Hennepin County on September 29, It was a case where family members were arguing over $7,500. The shooter shot an attorney as well as her cousin. The attorney lived because of the heroic efforts of Susan Love however, the cousin died. The shooter is currently serving a life sentence in prison. Captain Dan Andren s presentation regarded a shooting incident that occurred at the Sherburne County Government Center s parking lot on October 2, The case involved a defendant who was to be sentenced on a 4 th degree drug possession charge and committed to prison. Captain Andren walked us through all the events that led up to the shooting. The shooter was shot and later died at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids. All kinds of red flags occurred before the shooting but no one acted or picked up on them. They have learned from this situation and changed their procedures. Balanced Performance Management Mr. Farrar defined balance performance management as a system of fair and reasonable performance expectations and feedback and an open, consistent, collaborative process that promotes continuous improvement. It s something that s not done to people but with people. Mr. Farrar, along with Susan Love, described how they used balanced performance management in the 4 th district. They defined the situation and developed solutions to be achieved. They worked on identifying their core values which tie into their mission and vision statements. Once completed the District Administrator and Asst. District Administrator met with every employee to review these and pointed out they would be held accountable to these values. Mr. Farrar explained that trust is the basis of all positive human interactions. When we are trusted, we get to use our leadership to help others. You show trustworthiness by being competent, reliable, open and principled. He explained that implementing a plan takes time and employees will go through the stages of change: denial, anger, anxiety and bargaining, searching for meaning and options, testing and exploration, and finally ownership. This process took Hennepin eighteen months to develop and implement. Susan Love has a toolbox that can be utilized. It can be found in Courtnet, the 4 th district s page, Human Resources/Education & Organization Development, under supervisor s resources, the Balanced Performance Management link. Cascading the Purpose Michelle Nelson from Woodland Hills provided an entertaining breakout with the message that managers need to be sure not to miss the details of what is going on in their workplaces. She had the attendees list descriptions of bad customer service that they had experienced and demonstrated how those matched closely with descriptions people have of bad managers. She used video clips to demonstrate how music, movies, and technology have changed over time as an analogy to emphasize that managers (Continued to page 4)

4 P a g e 4 M A C M R E F L E C T I O N S 2011 AS THE COURT TURNS - PRESERVING OUR PEOPLE AND OUR PURPOSE - Continued from Page 3 communication styles need to evolve to match the environment in which employees were raised. Successful managers will move from the old focus based on telling/fear/positional power to today s focus which should be based on listening/consulting/ coaching/team work. Ms. Nelson promoted lots of communication within the organization and fewer closed door meetings. By paying attention to how managers communicate verbally and nonverbally in all interactions, managers can gain employees trust and respect which allows a more open communication even when the topic is difficult. Emotional Intelligence Connie presented leading with Emotional Intelligence which focuses on noncognitive capabilities, competencies, and skills. The EQI test specifically assesses five main components and these are Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Stress Management, Adaptability and General Mood. Relationships between some or all of these can directly affect work outcome. The Emotional Intelligence test can be directly related to some performance issues and it should be noted that 90 percent of high performers also have high EQ ratings. This presentation focused on how our EQI results could assist us in becoming better leaders and why this test might be very beneficial in realizing how you could become a resonant leader and thus have better interaction with your staff to develop a more in depth state of mind way of leading. Talent Management In the presentation on Talent Development and Talent Management Planning for the future, Kevin Bowling presented the attendees with the results of his Institute of Court Management fellowship research project. Kevin focused on the massive retirements that will soon be transpiring in the public and private sector as the Baby Boomers transition out of the workforce. The focus was to ensure how to have the Right people in the right place at the right time. In order to do this Kevin has developed a plan called Building Bench Strength in the Ottawa Michigan courts. This project focused on two key areas, talent development and talent management. As the plan was formulated and designed, careful thought went into making sure that a proper workforce analysis was done: Impact on the court, attrition rates and retirement projections also were calculated. After all of these factors were vetted the Development Phase was designed with three specific steps in place. Phase 1 focused on drawing in volunteers to the program. Phase 2 was divided into two specific tracks, professional or management and focused on the aspects of each group in regards to the volunteer needs and future level of employment with the courts. Phase 3 focused on the upper tier of management, court administrators and what these individuals will need in order to succeed at that level. The goal of this was to strategic plan, educationally plan, allow for the participants to gain experience and to have the volunteers produce an application of knowledge which is a written paper demonstrating the mastery of what they have learned. (Continued to page 5)

5 P a g e 5 M A C M R E F L E C T I O N S 2011 AS THE COURT TURNS - PRESERVING OUR PEOPLE AND OUR PURPOSE - Continued from Page 4 Kevin stressed that this plan might not fit all courts but that each court should view its future needs to plan for succession before the void is created and unable to be filled. National Association for Court Management Presentation The NACM mid-year conference will be held February 5 7, 2012 in Minneapolis. To attend, NACM will offer reduced conference fees for members. Other membership benefits include continuing education opportunities, access to members only items such as conference videos, webinars and mini-guides, networking opportunities, receipt of the quarterly magazine, and priority attention from the research division of the National Center for State Courts. Kevin pointed out what items are new to NACM. These include a member mentoring program, early career professionals group that includes those with less than one year with the courts and under the age of 40, conference scholarships, distance learning and reviewing/ updating the core competencies. Information regarding NACM can be found on their website at Courts are so many pieces coming together to work. NACM wants to help court managers make things work MACM VENDOR SHOW IS A SUCCESS The Vendor Show was a big hit and gave supervisors and managers an opportunity to check out some of the latest court products and services. MACM would like to thank all of the 2011 Vendors for their participation and support at the 2011 MACM Conference. Special thanks goes out to the following Gold Level Sponsors: Leo A Daly Computer Integration Technologies, Inc. (CIT) BKV Group Electronic Design Company

6 P a g e 6 M A C M R E F L E C T I O N S JANE MORROW RECEIVES THE 2011 MACM DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD Congratulations to Jane Morrow who was selected as the recipient of the 2011 Distinguished Service Award. It all began so innocently. A young woman, wet behind the ears but brimming with enthusiasm and energy, was hired by Hennepin County in At that time no one suspected what a powerful influence she would become and how she would help shape the courts of today. In 1977 she moved on to work for State Court Administration as a SJIS trainer, helping to move us from pen and paper into the age of computers. In 1981, at the ripe age of 30, she applied for a position as court administrator for one of the largest courts in Minnesota. On her way to the courthouse to interview for the position, her car broke down. But she was not one to let a malfunctioning vehicle stop her. Utilizing her ingenuity, her creativity, and her um, thumb, she hitchhiked to the courthouse to her interview. Of course, she was given the position and the rest is history. She has earned the respect of her Bench, her colleagues and her staff over thirty years of dedicated service to the County, the State, and the Judiciary! She has been a staunch advocate for the profession of court administration and for her colleagues throughout her career. Her passion for the law and belief in our Vicky Carlson presents the 2011 MACM Distinguished Service Award to Anoka County Court Administrator Jane Morrow judicial system has been reflected in her work. When she believes something to be true, she has never backed down from taking a controversial stand. She has often questioned how many of us have read and actually contemplated the meaning of the short but powerful Article 6 of the Constitution of the Great State of Minnesota. She has an extraordinary ability to teach and that talent was tapped for district-wide training, new employee orientations, and records access training. Her comfortable and entertaining presentation style ensured the trainees would retain the experience. She is an invaluable resource to her fellow court administrators. She has encountered a variety of unique situations due to the size of her county and often shares that information in the event it should ever happen to us. She has served on virtually every MACM, county, district, and state committee that exists or has existed. As noted by one of her colleagues at State Court Administration: She has always been willing to share her experience and perspective on court administrative issues with her colleagues on a district, state and national level, and in doing so has contributed to the development of numerous court standards, policies and rules. In addition, she has organized and participated in numerous charitable causes such as raking leaves for the elderly and collecting toys for disadvantaged children at holiday time. Her sense of humor and self effacing nature make her a joy to know and to work with. A new person will be hired to take her place in our organization but no one will ever take her place in our minds and in our hearts.

7 P a g e 7 M A C M R E F L E C T I O N S DEB MORSE & SUSAN LOVE RECEIVE THE 2011 MACM COACH/MENTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD Congratulations to Susan Love and Deb Morse who both received an award for Coach/Mentor of the Year! As part of the Emerging Leaders Network, our group works closely with Deb Morse, Human Resources Manager, and Susan Love, Judicial Education & Organization Development Manager. This year will be the third cohort that Deb and Susan have facilitated. Susan and Deb have demonstrated the qualities, drive, and knowledge that is necessary to be an excellent coach/mentor/teacher. Through the Emerging Leaders Network (ELN) program, we have had the opportunity to experience their positive, encouraging leadership skills and they have continuously shown us the dedication, self -confidence, and awareness that is needed to be a leader within the 4 th Judicial District. The ELN group consists of clerks and staff from numerous divisions and departments within District Court. The advice and support of Deb and Susan has had a variety of effects on all the departments within the organization. Both, Susan and Deb have admirable mentoring/coaching skills and have helped develop many individuals within our group to possess the necessary skills, confidence, and knowledge to become coaches and mentors themselves. For example, they not only are able to pass on their familiarity of the subject matter being taught within ELN, but they are also able to teach how to implement these skills within the workplace and within every aspect of our lives. By increasing awareness of leadership skills and honing in on unique characteristics in each individual, they are able to guide each individual on an exclusive path within their careers and help each person to make themselves valuable and irreplaceable. This ELN also aims at helping individuals to become leaders in their future roles within the courts and their careers, but more so, aims in helping people to become better leaders in their personal lives as well. Susan and Deb are caring individuals who take careful consideration and regard to helping the people around them, including the court staff that is participating in ELN. They strive to help people become the best person they can be and help them to develop unique skills as well as acquire new talents. We believe these two individuals have earned this award for the impact they have on the entire 4 th Judicial District Staff, the mentor/mentee s, and the outlying community within Hennepin County. Congratulations to Susan Love and Deb Morse!

8 P a g e 8 M A C M R E F L E C T I O N S SUSAN LOVE RECEIVES THE 2011 MACM DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD Vicky Carlson presents Susan Love with the 2011 MACM Distinguished Service Award Susan has shown exemplary service to the MACM organization. Susan goes above and beyond. She is the current president of MACM and hands down continually promotes the organization. She truly believes in the purpose of MACM, which is committed to the enrichment of its members through professional growth and development opportunities and the networking opportunities it provides to improve the Justice System in Minnesota. Susan has served in many different capacities over the years in the MACM organization. Aside from serving as president for two consecutive terms, Susan has: served as education chair, compiles the MACM newsletter into a newspaper worthy newsletter, worked tirelessly to promote the mentoring concept and its implementation and is constantly coming up with new ideas to advance MACM. If that wasn t enough, Susan has also taught courses for MACM over the years. Susan s volunteer work for the Minnesota Association for Court Management has made the association stronger and she should receive recognition and thanks for all of her time and efforts put into the association. Susan gives 100% in all the work she does. She is always willing to share successes from Hennepin County with the MACM organization. Again, she continually looks to improve the judicial system and the court management profession. She is approachable, persuasive and looks for the good in any situation. She should receive the Distinguished Service Award because of her amazing service to MACM and the Fourth Judicial District. MACM s MISSION: MACM is an organization committed to the enrichment of its members through professional growth and development, opportunities, promoting advancements and innovations in court administration, and partnering with other professionals working to improve the justice system in Minnesota.

9 V o l u m e 3, I s s u e 2 P a g e 9 MACM LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE UPDATES by Wayne Minske, MACM Legislative Chair Wayne Minske: First Vice President, and Legislative Chair Three different districts were recognized with the MACM Legislative Outreach Best Team Performance award at the Summer Conference. The award is given out to the team that demonstrates an outstanding team effort in legislative outreach. The 2011 award was shared by the 7 th and 10 th Districts. Both exhibited outstanding efforts in making legislative contacts but in different ways. In the 7 th District - Clay, Douglas, Mille Lacs, and Stearns Counties hosted Innovation Showcases to highlight the efficiencies introduced by the Judicial Branch and how they have leveraged technology and maximized the use of existing resources. Local state legislators were invited and attended. The Stearns County showcase resulted in a newspaper article in the St. Cloud Times and there was TV coverage for the Clay County showcase. The 10 th District, for the first time ever, had participation in legislative outreach by all eight counties. Outreach efforts ranged from letters, ride-a-longs, lunches, breakfasts, and visits at the capitol. The 2010 award was given to the 4 th District. Hennepin County was recognized for extensive contacts with legislators and involving justice partners with them in the outreach. Numerous visits to their Drug and DWI Courts were made by legislators during Thanks to all for a great year of legislative outreach efforts. It really does make a difference. MACM MEMBERSHIP SERVICES UPDATE Carolyn Hamilton State Court Administrative Office Rodney Eucker MN Court Payment Center Janelle Tupy First Judicial District Krista Sandhoefner Fourth Judicial District by Vicky Carlson, Membership Services Chair Melissa Burns Fifth Judicial District Kim Vander Hoeven State Court Administrative Office Susan Roerig Sixth Judicial District Joel Olson Second Judicial District Vicky Carlson: Membership Services Chair A warm welcome goes out to the following individuals who became MACM members during the second half of fiscal year Tamara Halonen Fourth Judicial District Bridget Gernander SCAO- Court of Appeals Welcome to MACM

10 P a g e 10 M A C M R E F L E C T I O N S Out and about with Janet Marshall by Vicky Carlson, Carver County Court Administrator I had the opportunity to shadow Janet Marshall, Minnesota Judicial Branch Intergovernmental Liaison and MACM member, on a cold day in March, After walking outside from the Orange parking garage to the Minnesota State Building on snow covered sidewalks to meet with Janet and attend a budget hearing, I quickly learned that there are tunnels that will take you from the Minnesota Judicial Center to the Capitol to the State Office Building, Transportation, Veterans Services, Centennial Building and back to the Minnesota Judicial Center. Goodbye cold air and elements. These tunnels form a circle surrounding the government buildings. For all of you health conscious individuals, one loop equals one mile. Only one paragraph in and I digress. Janet Marshall is from western New York State. She received her undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Criminal Justice from Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania and her masters in Judicial Administration from the University of Denver Law School. She always thought she would be an attorney. Instead, she began working for the Minnesota State Court Administrator in 1978 as an intern. Her first project was to study whether to retain referees and judicial officers. She has worked in various positions over the years and currently works as the Minnesota Judicial Branch liaison and as staff to the Judicial Council. As I shadowed Janet, I got to experience what her job entails. The second thing I learned that day is you better wear good shoes and keep some food in your briefcase at all times. It is well known that Janet travels with bags of candy when she is sitting in meetings and hearings. As you can imagine, Janet becomes quite popular when these hearings go over their scheduled time. There have been many instances over the years when she has been in meetings or hearings for over hours. I am sure everyone loves her bag of goodies. Vicky Carlson & Janet Marshall Janet has many interesting stories from years of work at the capitol. During one particular overnight session, tours of the horses on the capitol building were being arranged at 2:30 a.m. As the morning progressed, I attended a budget hearing that actually went rather quickly and with limited flair. Later Janet and I attended a Drug Court rally. The Drug Court rally was very moving as several graduates offered their own testimonials of the program. Participants were encouraged to contact their legislators and share their stories. At this event, I learned that amongst all of the other hidden talents, Janet is an excellent photographer. Janet had her camera in tow and was snapping many pictures of the drug court presenters and attendees. I guess this fits the category other duties as assigned. I asked Janet what she saw as the most and least interesting aspects of her job. She said attending session hearings and being a part of what is going on at the Capitol and the laws being passed is gratifying. Her least favorite is trying to balance her work and personal time. Next up was a fiscal note conference call and another senate budget hearing in the afternoon. I parted ways before those and let Janet get back to work ing and calling all of the folks she needs to stay in contact with during the legislative session. After parting with Janet, I realized that Janet s job really takes a lot of dedication and perseverance to put in so many evenings and weekends and overnights! She said that one of her most challenging sessions was when the courts funding bill was passed at 10PM on the last night of the session and there was a mistake in the bill. Janet had to track down several legislators to get the mistake fixed before the legislature adjourned for the session. It was finally cleared up at midnight! Janet is a frequent speaker at MACM s annual conference. MACM is fortunate to receive annual updates from someone who knows the ins-and-outs of what is happening at the legislature.

11 P a g e 11 M A C M R E F L E C T I O N S Vicky Carlson completes Court Executive Development Program Vicky Carlson, Carver County Court Administrator became a Fellow and a Certified Court Executive of the Institute for Court Management on May 13, 2011, after successfully completing the rigorous requirements of the ICM s Court Executive Development Program (CEDP). Vicky graduated with 23 other court professionals from around the United States and took part in graduation ceremonies conducted at the Supreme Court in Washington D.C. General William K. Suter, Clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States welcomed and addressed the graduates. went into the program, but I hold this graduation ceremony more dear than my high school or college graduation! It was a great day and I feel fortunate to have gone through the program and to have learned from so many talented court professionals from around the country along the way. Justice Clarence Thomas made an unexpected visit to the reception. In past ceremonies, Chief Justice John Roberts has presided over the graduation ceremony. This year he was unable to, but gave each graduate a signed letter acknowledging their accomplishments. of the United States Warren E. Burger in his call for improving the management of state court administration. The intensive fourphase educational program better prepares court professionals for management and leadership positions. Since the first class of CEDP graduates in 1970, more than 1,150 court professionals in 48 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and 12 foreign countries have become fellows. Individuals enrolled in the CEDP must successfully complete four phases of coursework including: Phase I requires participants to take five in-depth courses that cover topics of court performance standards, caseflow management, human resources, fiscal management, and technology management. (From left to right) General William K. Suter, Clerk of US Supreme Court; Vicky Carlson, Carver County Court Administrator; Mary McQueen, President, National Center for State Courts; John Meeks, Vice President, Institute for Court Management The setting was magnificent and the graduation ceremony was beautiful and amazing, said Vicky. Maybe it had everything to do with the location, where I am in life, or the amount of work that The Court Executive Development Program is the only program of its kind in the United States. This professional certification program was established more than 30 years ago, in part, by Chief Justice Phase II begins with a threemonth distance learning component intended to prepare participants with preliminary research skills. Following this initial stage, participants attend a three-week full-time course at the National Center s headquarters in Williamsburg, VA. While in Williamsburg, participants engage in a range of discussions designed to sharpen their conceptual and interpersonal skills and learn leadership and management theory as it applies to court management. (Continued to page 12)

12 P a g e 12 M A C M R E F L E C T I O N S Vicky Carlson completes CEDP Program (Continued from page 11) Phase III requires participants to prepare a master s-level research paper that relates to evaluating and implementing a key court activity in their home jurisdiction. In Phase IV, participants develop and clearly articulate the results of their research before a respected panel and their classmates. The National Center for State Courts, founded by Chief Justice Warren E. Burger in 1971, is a non -profit organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership, research, technology, education and training to the state courts. (From left to Right) Justice Clarence Thomas, Vicky s Family: Andy, Vicky, Brianna, John and Amber Carlson Jennifer Schlieper is appointed Anoka County Court Administrator The Tenth Judicial District is excited to welcome Jennifer Schlieper to the position of Court Administrator in Anoka County. Jennifer will be replacing long term Court Administrator Jane Morrow who is retiring at the end of July. Jennifer is a 10 year court employee of Washington County whose current position is Criminal/Financial/ Administration Manager. She graduated from the University of Minnesota and after a short stint as an Asset Protection Team Leader at Target, joined Washington County Court Administration s management group. In addition to her regular duties, Jennifer had an active role in the design and construction of the new Washington County Court facility and was acting Court Administrator until Annette Fritz was hired to replace Chris Volkers when she left to work for the courts in southern California. Jennifer is currently participating in the National Center for State Courts Fellowship Program. Many of us know Jennifer because of her Chairmanship of the Membership Services Committee for MACM although she has been an active part of the management team of the 10 th Judicial District while working for Washington County. Judicial District Administrator Mike Moriarity commented that during the interviews, Jennifer mentioned her activities in MACM and the working relationships she had developed with court management around the state because of MACM. I do think her MACM activities and the contributions she made to her professional association were well received by the selection committee. Retiring Court Administrator Morrow added that Jennifer is knowledgeable, experienced, gregarious, and possesses a personality that will be an asset to Anoka County. Jennifer is thrilled to have been selected among a field of impressive candidates and hopes to start work in Anoka at the end of July.

13 V o l u m e 3, I s s u e 2 P a g e 13 Minnesota State Court News From The Land of 10,000 Lakes First Judicial District - Increasing Public Understanding of the Judicial System Increasing Public Understanding of the Judicial System by Brian Jones, Assistant District Administrator, First Judicial District One of the strategic priorities of the Judicial Branch is to increase public understanding and awareness of the important role the court has in the lives of the people of Minnesota. The court is perhaps the least understood of the three branches of government and yet provides essential services that promote public safety, personal freedom and social order. Six judges serving in the First Judicial District have volunteered to write articles about the work of the court, the nature of the services provided by the court, the impact on the lives of the people of the state and the challenges involved in the administration of justice. These volunteer judges are: Chief Judge Edward Lynch chambered in Dakota County, Assistant Chief Judge Terrence Conkel chambered in McLeod County, Judge Kathryn Messerich chambered in Dakota County, Judge Kevin Mark chambered in Goodhue County, Judge Michael Baxter chambered in Le Sueur County, and Judge Carrie Lennon chambered in Scott County. Each judge will be responsible for two articles per year, so each month a new article will be available. Currently articles are being prepared on Jury Duty, Child Protection Proceedings, Public Defenders, Juvenile Development/Juvenile Delinquency and The Court s Response to Non-English Speaking Participants. Chief Judge Edward Lynch began the series with an article entitled A View from the Bench What you should know about your Courts. Read the article on page 22 of this quarter s MACM Reflection s Newsletter. These articles will be submitted to local newspapers including the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press. Second Judicial District - Electronic Filing Initiative by Dana Dowd, Lynae Olson and Tama Hall As of Monday afternoon, April 4 th, the Second Judicial District began accepting electronically filed documents in all major civil and default judgment cases. The first filing was filed by the Attorney General s office at 2:10 pm on Monday the 4 th and reviewed and accepted by staff within the hour. Also, by the end of the first day, Judge Awsumb had e-filed two orders into the new system. Since the first day of implementation, there has been a steady pace of e-filings from both the judges (orders) and attorneys. E-filing has also expanded to other case types, most notable child support enforcement actions. As of the last week of June, the total number of electronic filings for civil cases was close to (Continued to page 14)

14 P a g e 14 M A C M R E F L E C T I O N S Second Judicial District - Electronic Filing Initiative (Continued from page 13) The total number of family filings (child support cases) was almost The initial phase of the e-filing initiative, which lasted two weeks, included 23 pilot law firms. After two weeks of successfully receiving and accepting e-filings, the Second District moved ahead with the next phase, and as of Monday, June 27, has completed all phases of the initiative. The following describes the scope and schedule of all five phases: April 4 Electronic filing begins for pilot law firms; case types include new and pending major civil case filings and default judgments. April 18 Electronic filing opens up to ALL law firms and agencies for same case types as in first phase (major civil and defaults). May 2 Child support IV-D cases from County Attorney s office joins the e-filing initiative. May 23 Civil e-filing expands to include all minor civil (e.g. transcript judgments, name changes, Implied Consents, etc) as well as case types in first two phases; Pro se individuals may also begin to e-file at this time (major and minor civil). June 27 All IV-D child support and paternity cases. With the advent of electronic file and serve, the Second District also took major steps toward a paper on demand environment. These include elimination of physical case files, Session Works, and e- Signatures. This means that all paper files related to the above case types are no longer maintained in paper form. The District now relies on the MNCIS record and the electronic images as its official record. The addition of electronic signatures provides the ability to completely process documents electronically, removing the need to print and sign. The Second District is planning to begin implementation of an e- Signature solution in mid-july. The move to the district reliance on the MNCIS electronic images added a new requirement to provide the bench quick and easy access to the case documents. To meet the access needs, the Second District has implemented Session Works. Session Works is a solution that replaces and simulates the physical case files for judicial officers. Session Works performs a nightly download of all case documents on MNCIS scheduled hearings. The judicial officer is able to review the case files prior to the day of the hearing from the chambers and see the current hearing files on the bench. The judicial officer is also able to take and add notes to the cases and documents within the case for easy access from the bench. As of the end of June judicial officers have gone paperless on the bench in several civil, child support, juvenile, and domestic abuse hearing types. By early August, the district plans to have Session Works fully implemented in all courtrooms for electronic access to all case types from the bench. With the implementation of the new e-filing business processes and technology, the team has worked hard to provide multiple options for the filers to contact the court for support. (Continued on page 15)

15 V o l u m e 3, I s s u e 2 P a g e 15 Second Judicial District - Electronic Filing Initiative (Continued from page 14) The support options include phone, , and chat. Chat is a new technology for the judicial branch and has proved to be a popular resource for our filers. For additional information about the Second District E-File initiative, visit the sites below. 2 nd District E-File Public Site 2 nd District E-File SharePoint Site The Second Judicial District encompasses all of Ramsey County. Fourth Judicial District - Anne V Simonett Award, and New Judicial Officers Appointed During these especially difficult budgetary times, it becomes even more important to recognize each other for a job well done. At the end of May, the Fourth Judicial District Court held the annual Anne V Simonett Excellence in Service award program. The following Fourth Judicial District Court staff and judicial officers were nominated for this prestigious award: Judge Jay Quam is the Presiding Judge of Probate/Mental Health Court and was appointed to the bench in He was nominated for his outreach to the legal community to earn recognition as an ambassador for the bench. Recently, Judge Quam organized and moderated presentations titled, Three Chiefs featuring Chief Justice Gildea, Court of Appeals Chief Judge Johnson and Fourth Judicial District Court Chief Judge Swenson. His impact on garnering respect and admiration from the bar and business representatives for the courts cannot be underestimated. Judge Lloyd Zimmerman was appointed in 2001 and is currently assigned to Criminal and Civil Court. Judge Zimmerman is noted for his never-ending zeal for justice for all. He is never too busy or preoccupied to mentor new lawyers or law students, pass out candy or Girl Scout cookies, volunteer at the Simpson Shelter or greet everyone by name. Gail Clapp is the Business Practice Unit (BPU) Manager and started in District Court in Under Gail s leadership, the BPU has become experts in business re -engineering, brought the Record Imaging and e-filng projects to fruition, and provided in-depth business practice expertise which enhances her effectiveness with all lines of business. John Erar is the IT Manager and joined our District in June of John was nominated for his work on the e-filing and Records Management projects. His tireless efforts to implement technology serve us all to transform and modernize the Judicial Branch. Susan Love is the Judicial Education & Development Manager and has been with the courts since She was nominated for her tremendous impact in the 4 th as well as throughout the state. Susan s values, ethics and standards help to re-energize and inspire staff to work to their potential; whether it s the Emerging Leaders Network or the numerous education and program opportunities she designs, organizes or conducts. Sandy Shults is the IT Supervisor and has been with the Fourth Judicial District Court since She was nominated for her work on the expansion for digital recording in the Fourth. Sandy spent countless hours to complete the project on time in addition to her regular duties at the helpdesk. Despite many challenges encountered in this project, she kept it moving forward and encouraged others to stay positive. (Continued to page 16)

16 V o l u m e 3, I s s u e 2 P a g e 16 Fourth Judicial District (Continued from page 15) The winners of the 2010 Anne V Simonett Excellence in Service Award were Referee Mark Labine and Candace Albers. Candace Albers, Judge Martha Simonett, Referee Mark Labine (The Anne V. Simonett Award was named after Judge Martha Simonett s sister) Referee Mark Labine presides over Housing Court since he joined the Fourth in He continues to assist in Conciliation and Family Courts as time permits. His leadership and expertise has made the justice stakeholder arena better through Bench and Bar meetings and guest presenters, speaking about mortgage foreclosure filings, monthly outreach engagements, providing a bench book used statewide for housing court proceedings. Referee Labine is a one-man band in educating others about Housing Court and its many facets. Candace Albers is the HR Coordinator and has been with the courts since She was nominated for her genuine commitment and dedication to employees. Candace has a contagious smile and can do attitude. She is the court s face of compassion and skillfully navigating the process with staff in need of medical leave, benefits, retirement and employment information. She handles each request with the utmost dignity, respect and confidentiality. Candace coordinates the backpack challenge for students in need and is chair of the Fourth Judicial District Court Employee Appreciation and Recognition Committee. Candace is the court s cheerleader in family fun, as demonstrated by the Twins game outing that hundreds of Fourth Judicial District Court employees and judges enjoy each year. Congratulations to Referee Labine and Candace! Three new judges were appointed to the Fourth Judicial District Court bench in June. Judge Lyonel Norris currently serves as Assistant Federal Defender, representing, in all phases of federal criminal prosecutions, indigent individuals charged with federal crimes. Previously, Judge Norris was the Director of the Of- fice of Equity in the Minnesota Department of Education, Assistant Public Defender in the Office of the Minnesota State Public Defender and Law Clerk for the Honorable Michael J. Davis. He has extensive experience teaching in law schools, supervising law students in legal clinics and presenting at conferences. In addition to spending time mentoring young lawyers, Judge Norris has demonstrated his commitment to the community through service, past and present, on several Boards of Directors including: Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater, Children s Law Center, Central Minnesota Legal Services, and the American Youth Work Center in Washington, D.C. Judge Norris also has been a member of the Hospital Review Board at Anoka Metropolitan Regional Treatment Center and a member of the Minneapolis Advisory Council on Disabilities. Judge Norris earned his B.A. from Carleton College in 1977 and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota in Judge M. Jacqueline Regis, former Minnesota Women Lawyers President , is currently Senior Associate General Counsel at UnitedHealth Group, Inc. where she provides legal services to the (Continued to page 17)

17 P a g e 17 M A C M R E F L E C T I O N S Fourth Judicial District (Continued from page 16) Company s Medicare Advantage business. Previously, Regis was a member of St. Paul Travelers Insurance Companies Legal Services Department, and she also has served as Assistant Attorney General in the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General. Additionally, between 1990 and 1996, Judge Regis was adjunct professor of law at the William Mitchell College of Law. Judge M. Jacqueline Regis Chair of the MSBA Women in the Legal Profession Task Force. In 2003, Judge Regis was appointed by the Minnesota Supreme Court to serve on its Advisory Committee to Review the Code of Judicial Conduct and the Rules of the Board of Judicial Standards. In 2010, Judge Regis served as cochair of the Minnesota State Bar Association s Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund. Judge Regis currently serves on the board of the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights and the Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter of the Alliance Francaise. Judge Regis earned her B.A. from Principia College in 1975, and her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in Judge David Piper brings extensive family court experience with him to the 4th District Court; he has most recently served as a Hennepin County family court referee. He created both the current family court public defender program and the public defender conflicts panel. He has served as both the first chief family court public defender and the first chief of the family court public defender conflicts panel. Judge Piper played a key role in initiating the Self Help Center, an arm of the court that assists self-represented parties. Prior to his family court experience, he concentrated his private Judge Regis has served two elected terms as a delegate from Hennepin County to the American Bar Association s House of Delegates between 1999 and In 2002, Judge Regis received a Presidential three-year appointment to serve as Commissioner on the ABA Commission on Ethnic and Racial Diversity. She served on the Board of Governors of the Minnesota State Bar Association and between 1996 and 1997 as Copractice in the specialty courts where he represented children, parents and guardians ad litem in juvenile court and disadvantaged clients in probate court. He initiated a program of volunteer lawyers to serve as guardians ad litem in family court. He was also a member of the Federal Public Defender Panel and the Misdemeanor Defense Panel. Judge Piper formerly served on the boards of Chrysalis, TPT, the Headwaters Fund, and the Volunteer Lawyers Network. He was one of the first Judge David Piper volunteer attorneys at the Children s Law Center, and represented numerous clients for Chrysalis, the Volunteer Lawyers Network, and the Minnesota Aids Project. He currently serves on the board of the Neighborhood Involvement Program and is a volunteer for the Minnesota Aids Project. He also only missed one or two years of walking in the annual AIDS Walk, and he has participated in two bicycle rides from Minneapolis to Chicago for AIDS organizations. Judge Piper graduated from Whittier College in 1975, and from Hamline Law School in 1979.

18 V o l u m e 3, I s s u e 2 P a g e 18 Fifth Judicial District - Peer Intervention Program, and National Drug Court Planning Initiative Peer Intervention Program by Linda Sandberg Six, brave, AFSCME employees recently embarked on a new adventure in the Fifth Judicial District. These employees are part of a pilot project in the 5th and 10th Districts where the employees are trained as mediators on peer intervention. Peer intervention is a new concept in the judicial branch for AFSCME employees to work out conflicts between co-workers and/or employees and their supervisors. It is meant to be used as an additional option for supervisors and employees. The mediation is an informal process and not part of a disciplinary process. It is typically used in attendance/tardiness, performance, or co-worker conflicts. Either the supervisor or employee may suggest this as an option and both parties must agree to participate. It is totally voluntary and does not become part of the employee s file. In the mediation, the pre-selected mediator meets with the individuals to identify the issues. The mediator then guides the participants through a process which allows the parties to create a resolution which is acceptable by both sides. The mediator does not determine the outcome, but rather helps the parties identify options which could resolve the issue(s). Once parties agree on a final outcome, a written agreement is signed by both parties and shared with the supervisor (if applicable). The following individuals participated in the 5-hour training: Sonja Kruger, Blue Earth County Senior Court Clerk Jodie Baker, Nicollet County Senior Court Clerk Peggy Wenner, Nicollet County Senior Court Clerk Carla Lawrence, Faribault County Senior Court Clerk Patti Overgaard, Rock County Senior Court Clerk Robin Orvis, Watonwan County Senior Court Clerk Jason Schear, Nobles County Senior Court Clerk will also be training for this exciting new dispute resolution program. During and after the training which included a presentation and mediation practice modules, the participants realized it wasn t as easy as they thought it would be. They wanted to jump in and solve the problem for the parties rather than allowing the parties to reach a resolution through their own discussion. They are excited about the professional and personal challenges they will gain from this program. If you would like any information regarding this process, please contact Linda Sandberg, 5th Judicial District HR manager at linda.sandberg@courts.state.mn.us Congratulations to these individuals who are working to increase their skills while also helping to peacefully and satisfactorily resolve issues within their district. National Drug Court Planning Initiative by Sandra Hensley The last five counties in the Fifth Judicial District have now completed the national drug court planning initiative. On May 2-6 th there were two teams of 16 individuals representing the counties of Rock, Nobles, Cottonwood, Pipestone and Murray who participated in the weeklong training held in Minneapolis. (Continued on page 19)

19 V o l u m e 3, I s s u e 2 P a g e 19 Fifth Judicial District (Continued from Page 18) Judge Timothy Connell and Judge Greg Anderson also attended. By completing the training, these counties will now have priority consideration for federal implementation grant funding. Preliminary plans are to have one judge preside over two teams. Court hearings will be held on alternating weeks in Nobles and Murray counties. If funding can be secured, this drug court could become operational by October The Fifth Judicial District was recently awarded a $50,000 grant to create a Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Task Force. The purpose of the task force is to create a plan to initiate strategic, systemic change for the identification and treatment of criminal justice system involved individuals with mental illness or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. Judge Allison Krehbiel is leading the task force. A portion of the funding will be used to conduct two mental health training opportunities for criminal justice staff in August. A Task Force Report with recommendations will be completed in October The Fifth Judicial District encompasses Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock, and Watonwan counties Sixth Judicial District - Judge Cuzzo Appointed, and Upgrades to Office Space, and Technology Implementation North Shore Judge Michael J. Cuzzo Appointed by Judy Isaacson Judge Michael J. Cuzzo was sworn in as a 6 th Judicial District Judge on January 3, 2011, at the Lake County Courthouse in Two Harbors. Judge Cuzzo won an election in November, 2010, to fill the seat vacated by the retirement of Judge Kenneth Sandvik. Judge Cuzzo will serve both Lake and Cook Counties which are situated on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Diane Herrick-Schmidt is currently serving as the Lake/ Cook County Court Administrator. Upgrades to Office Space and Technology Implementation in the Sixth District by Judy Isaacson The Sixth District has been busy with upgrading office space and installing new technology these past few months. They have installed MNCIS Display Calendars in Carlton, Hibbing, and Virginia Courthouses. Office spaces in Duluth and Carlton have been remodeled and reconfigured along with the installation of ergonomic workstations. Hibbing and Virginia work space was enhanced, and all district staff were given VersaKey boards. The Duluth jury lounge was remodeled to make it into a more friendly location for members of the public serving as jurors in Duluth, but also to allow it to be used as a multi-purpose room for district trainings and meetings.

20 V o l u m e 3, I s s u e 2 P a g e 20 Tenth Judicial District - Farewell to the Magnificent 10th District Farewell to the Magnificent 10th by Jane Morrow It has been amusing over the years to hear how some have described the 10 th Judicial District and what is the perceived difficulty of working within it. As one who has spent 30 years close to the center of the district, I can attest that you shouldn t always believe what you hear. LuAnn Blegen, Rosemary Nelson, Jane Morrow, Monica Tschumper, Peggy Gentles I started my career with the courts in Hennepin County, at their first Service Center at Southdale. I later moved downtown where the real judicial action was occurring and thoroughly enjoyed the people, the employees and the issues that I learned about downtown. When I finished getting an MBA at St. Thomas, I was hired by Minnesota s State Court Administrator to work on designing and implementing the first system for collecting comparable data about the courts throughout Minnesota. First rule of my job was never to mention that I worked in Hennepin County as I traveled throughout the state. Little more than three years later, I was hired in Anoka to replace long term Court Administrator Ray Nilsson. It was a career without a plan but one that brought me to work every day, thankful for an interesting job and anxious to see what the day s activities might produce. Jo Ann Bennett and Jane Morrow I never expected to spend the remainder of my career in Anoka, but it wasn t long before I fell in love with the world of court administration, my bosses and employees. It also didn t hurt that county officials treated me like a queen while other court administrators were struggling with county relations. I was honored to be appointed to the Legislature s Trial Court Unification Commission which recommended statutory change to enable the trial court to unify. I was further thrilled when the 10 th Judicial District was the first district to unify the county and district courts in The willingness to lead the way in the unification effort doesn t sound like the actions of a district that doesn t work well. The report of that commission strongly recommended that referee positions be replaced by judgeships as they became open and that effort should be made to avoid the proliferation of new levels of court staffed by referee, adjunct judicial officers or justices of the peace. Funny how we ve forgotten about that admonition. My husband and I built two (Continued on page 21)

21 V o l u m e 3, I s s u e 2 P a g e 21 Tenth Judicial District - 10th Judicial District Court Managers Complete ICM Residency Program (Continued from page 20) homes in the community, lived alongside the mighty Mississippi River where we raised and educated our children and developed respect and admiration for the hard working people and judges who served the citizens of the 10th judicial district. While there were some notable exceptions, the vast majority of the judges in Anoka were thrilled to be appointed to the bench, showed up for work every day and worked hard to do the business of the courts. They did their jobs and supported me while I did mine. While they certainly spoke their minds and didn t always agree on subjects, they treated me well and encouraged my participation in every aspect of their lives. Many became close friends and I will miss working with them. I will miss having a job. I can t believe it will be long before I find another one. I know I may never again find the kind of relationships I treasured in the 10 th. The Court Administrators of the District, both past and present, are the best and I will miss them the most. I feel the same about the six Judicial District Administrators with whom I ve worked. There was a lot of change over the years and most was very enjoyable. As I told the court staff gathered for the MACM Conference in St. Cloud, my advice to you is to be a critical thinker, find out what you believe in and then fight to protect those beliefs no matter what the consequence. Also remember, there is a reason for the difference between government and the private sector. Look critically at business practices and remember how appalled you ve been at CEO compensation in the business community. Government exists to do the right thing, even if it costs a little more. 10th Judicial District Court Managers Complete ICM Residency Program Four Minnesota Court Managers have completed the three week residency portion of the National Center for State Court s ICM Fellows Program (formerly the Court Executive Development Program). The four participants are: - Annette Fritz - Sherilyn Hubert - Jennifer Schlieper, and; - Lynn Wagner all of from the 10 th District. The ICM Fellow Program is the only program of its kind in the United States, and traces its history to Chief Justice Warren E. Burger's call for improved management of court administration. The next phase of the program focuses on researching and writing a thesis on a current topic facing court administration. The topics selected by the foursome look quite timely and interesting: Jennifer Schlieper will evaluate Minnesota court s state funding framework. Lynn Wagner is exploring process improvements to deliver core services. Sherilyn Hubert is taking her work on CAMPER to a new level with an examination of protecting the assets of our most vulnerable those under conservatorships in Minnesota. Annette Fritz is studying the implications of developing and implementing a staff study in the Minnesota Courts. Their papers will be completed in the spring with a concluding seminar scheduled in May. The Tenth Judicial District encompasses Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine, Sherburne, Washington, and Wright counties.

22 V o l u m e 3, I s s u e 2 P a g e 22 A view from the Bench - What you should know about your courts by Chief Judge Edward Lynch, First Judicial District Court For many people court is where traffic tickets are paid, criminals are prosecuted, divorces are processed and Judge Judy presides. In other words, a place to be avoided. It is not surprising that few people think about the constitutional responsibilities courts have, the critical services they provide to the people of Minnesota, or the important role they have in preserving public safety, economic stability, individual freedom and personal security. Courts are involved in more than just traffic tickets and criminal prosecution. While holding criminals accountable for their conduct and collecting fines and fees are important aspects of what courts do (last year courts processed over 193,000 criminal matters and collected almost $200 million that was paid out to cities, counties and the state), these are far from the only services provided. The courts in Minnesota hear cases that involve people who need help at critical times in their lives involving some of the most important matters in their lives. If you are not directly involved with the courts, it is almost certain that you have a friend, relative or neighbor who is. Three examples demonstrate the variety and urgency of the cases heard in courtrooms throughout Minnesota. An elderly man who lost a leg in an accident was unable to obtain recommended medical treatment without court intervention because the two companies that insured him could not agree which was responsible for payment of the expenses. A woman came to court for an order for protection after finding her husband s journal that described his detailed plans and preparations to kill her and their children. A pre-teen girl involved in a child protection proceeding because of the physical and emotional abuse inflicted by her mother wrote a letter to the judge describing the beatings, explaining that the whipping with the extension cord hurt the most and ended her letter by pleading: HELP ME, PLEASE. The court s job is to make sure that these important matters are handled in a timely and responsible manner. The Minnesota Constitution states that every person is entitled to obtain justice freely and without purchase, completely and without denial, promptly and without delay. The courts in Minnesota, as the third branch of state government, are charged with ensuring that this constitutional right of the people to timely access and impartial justice is honored. Each year over 1.6 million cases are filed with the courts seeking justice. By discharging the Judicial Branch s constitutional obligation, the courts protect the freedom, security, family and property of individuals, while supporting and promoting society s interest in public safety, economic stability and social order. In recent years the Judicial Branch has embraced technology to create efficiencies for the courts and for other justice system agencies so these important matters can be processed and heard in a reasonable time. The electronic filing of documents and the availability of court documents, calendars and other court related information over the Internet have improved access and reduced costs associated with court proceedings. The expanded use of interactive video for court hearings, the development of remote interpreter (Continued to page 23)

23 V o l u m e 3, I s s u e 2 P a g e 23 A view from the Bench - What you should know about your courts (Continued from page 22) services, and the creation of webbased staff training have reduced expenses so the courts can continue to provide meaningful and timely court proceedings. The Judicial Branch Strategic Plan, first adopted over a decade ago, recognizes the need for the courts to do a better job at less cost, to be more efficient and more effective.. The courts have worked with other justice system agencies to improve the effectiveness of the services they provide. Problem solving courts have been created to address the mental health, alcohol and substance abuse issues that frequently drive criminal behavior and contribute to family dysfunction. Courts throughout Minnesota have implemented new approaches to the often difficult process of getting a divorce. Early court intervention in these matters has reduced the time, conflict and cost frequently associated with these proceedings. To assist the increasing number of people who cannot afford to hire an attorney or choose to represent themselves in court proceedings, forms and informational brochures have been revised, assistance centers have been created in several courthouses, and a Self Help website has been developed. These efforts go beyond the efficient disposition of cases and strive for better outcomes and a more satisfactory process. Despite the challenges presented by an increasing demand for court services and multiple funding reductions, the people of Minnesota continue to receive high quality services from their courts. While most people may still want to avoid criminal prosecution, traffic tickets and divorce proceedings, there should be comfort in knowing that Minnesota s courts are available and responsive if their freedom, family or property are ever threatened. MACM Reflections Quarterly Newsletter Needs You by Vicky Carlson Do you like reading the interesting articles about your peers published in this newsletter? Would you like to see the MACM Membership Services Committee continue to publish this newsletter? If so, WE NEED YOU. Please send your MACM articles and pictures to Vicky Carlson, Janice Cossette or Susan Love for inclusion in the next edition of Reflections. You do not have to be a member of a MACM committee to send in an article about your court or your colleagues. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon. Warmest Regards: Vicky Carlson, Janice Cossette Co-Editors Susan Love, Publisher