Minnesotans for Impartial Courts

Currently Minnesotans have little to no information about judges up for election; they have no real power to hold judges accountable; and are at risk of losing their courts to special interests and big money politics.

The Impartial Justice Act will:

1. Empower Voters with Information so They Can Decide – Public Evaluations
The Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission consists equally of representatives from all
three branches of state government. Also noteworthy is that the majority of its members will
be non-attorneys. The Commission will evaluate the performance of all judges, and make the
evaluations available to the public. A transparent evaluation process gives voters information
about the performance of their judges to use when deciding whether a judge should retain their
position on the bench.

2. Empower Voters to Hold Judges Accountable – Retention Elections
An undeniable pattern has developed, effectively eliminating the right of voters to hold judges
accountable. Currently 90% of judges run unopposed in Minnesota, giving voters a choice only
10% of the time in judicial elections. This is unacceptable. Retention elections give voters
the opportunity to voice their opinion in every race and determine whether to retain a judge
or remove them from the bench. These reforms restore the right of Minnesota voters to hold
judges accountable 100% of the time.

3. Ensure Quality and Impartiality – Merit Selection
Nearly all Minnesota district court judges have reached the bench through an appointment
process based on merit. As a result, our judiciary is recognized as one of the best in the nation.
Expanding merit selection for the entire judiciary and making it mandatory guarantees that no
special interest can “buy” a seat on the bench. In other words, merit is mandatory in Minnesota,
and justice is not for sale.

These three elements, taken together, empower Minnesota voters. Citizens will now
have information regarding a judge’s performance, the opportunity to hold the judiciary
accountable, and the assurance that no special interest can “buy” a judicial seat.

Give Voters The Right To Decide

The Coalition for Impartial Justice believes that these reforms are critical. We have faith in the
Minnesota Voters. Please give them the opportunity to make up their own minds at the ballot
box by supporting a constitutional ballot question on this very important issue.