Judges in Wadena, Mille Lacs Counties Publicly Reprimanded

Two area judges have been publicly reprimanded by the Minnesota Board on Judicial Standards.

Seventh District Judge Douglas B. Clark, who is chambered in the Wadena County Courthouse, was reprimanded on May 17th for failure to remain impartial and for failure to be patient and courteous in multiple hearings.

The reprimand stated that Clark inappropriately interrupted questioning of witnesses on numerous occasions during the hearings and also ignored timelines, causing unneeded delays in the judicial process. According to the public reprimand, Judge Clark has committed to work to improve his performance.

Also, on June 27th, the Minnesota Board on Judicial Standards issued a public reprimand to Seventh District Judge Matthew M. Quinn, who is chambered in the Mille Lacs County Courthouse. Quinn was reprimanded for refusing to recognize a new state law restoring voting rights for people convicted of felonies.

According to the reprimand, Quinn – without authority, and based on his own research and analysis – began issuing probation sentencing orders on October 12th, 2023, which ruled the new law was unconstitutional and restricted the voting rights of defendants. The reprimand says this restricted defendants’ voting rights and deprived them of the restored voting rights available to them under the new state statute.

The Board directs Judge Quinn to determine and address the causes of his conduct. If the conduct recurs, the Board will consider whether additional discipline is appropriate.

Quinn was also reprimanded in 2021 for showing public support for former President Donald Trump and also criticizing President Joe Biden.