Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Paul Thissen Visits Bemidji

Minnesota Supreme Court Associate Justice Paul Thissen held a community listening session in Bemidji on fairness and access to justice.

Many people attended the discussion on Thursday night at the Northwest Indian Community Development Center along with some public elected officials. Community members shared their experiences with the courts and justice system and how it impacts their lives. Issues related to homelessness, racial inequality, new court models, and transportation were all brought up during the discussion.

“One of the challenges people have is that they don’t have transportation sometimes to actually get to court and that creates a significant barrier for people,” Thissen said. “There’s things that I think a lot of people in Minnesota take for granted like having a car, being able to get to court on time, and having a mailbox so that notices can be mailed to them that some people don’t have.”

Thissen, a former state legislator, was appointed to his position in May 2018.