It’s Your Court

By District Court Judge Paul Rasmussen OFF THE BENCH When you think of the work of a judge, you probably envision a courtroom, with the judge presiding over a trial or some sort of hearing. While judges spend a lot of time in court, that is only part of what our job entails. Much of my work occurs “off the...

It’s Your Court

by District Court Judge Paul Rasmussen JUROR FEEDBACK After every jury trial I talk to the jurors. I personally thank them for their service and offer to address any questions they might have. Jurors always have questions and comments about the case. A week or so after the trial I follow up and send a...

It’s Your Court

By District Court Judge Paul Rasmussen THE CSI EFFECT The trial was all over the news this summer. A woman named Casey Anthony had been charged with the murder of her 22 month old daughter, Caylee. Most media reports painted the prosecution’s case as strong, as there was considerable circumstantial...

It’s Your Court

GUARDIANSHIP OF ELDERLY By District Court Judge Paul Rasmussen Lucille had turned 85 in June. She was still living independently in her home. Her son and grandchildren helped her out, doing the yard work in the summer and shoveling snow in the winter, and they would drive her downtown whenever she needed...

It’s Your Court

ERROR-CORRECTING COURTS By District Court Judge Paul Rasmussen Our court system in Minnesota handles almost 2 million cases each year and our judges make thousands of decisions every day. We do our best to make the right decision in each and every case. It is inevitable, however, that we are going to make...