Editorial: Parting wisdom from a retiring justice

Russell Anderson warns of threat to judges' independence.

Last update: March 11, 2008 - 6:20 PM

Russell Anderson's relatively brief tenure as Minnesota's chief justice belies the lasting impact he'll have on Minnesota courts and those who seek justice in them.

A self-described "country trial judge" from Crookston, Minn., Anderson, 65, announced this week that he will retire in June because of his wife's health and his own age. He has spent a decade on the Minnesota Supreme Court, with two years at its helm.

His departure leaves the court with a slightly less Scandinavian feel; there will be just two remaining Andersons on the seven-member body. On a more serious note, his going deprives the court of his quiet leadership, which has won respect around the state for such efforts as his work with former Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz to modernize the state's court system and equalize funding.

Those changes may sound like a lot of legalese, but they're important. Minnesota's trial and appellate courts now communicate more effectively and operate in a more uniform manner. They also now rely on state funds instead of local property taxes. The result? Those who live in counties without a strong tax base can expect the same level of service -- in the time it takes to process documents, for example, or in the availability of public defenders -- as those who live in more affluent areas.

The reforms have made Minnesota's court system a pioneer nationally, and they did not come without controversy. But Anderson's credibility from his years as a district court judge helped smooth over differences. It also helped him gracefully manage another tense situation in 2006, when then Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson claimed that former or current justices had talked to him about Minnesota's marriage law. A review panel ruled the justices had not.

Anderson has sought the spotlight in his last months to warn of a growing threat: special interest groups sinking millions into judicial elections. "The intent of many,'' he warned legislators recently, " ... is to buy the robe.''

Along with a panel headed by former GOP Gov. Al Quie, Anderson is urging reforms to protect judges from political influence. Among them: longer terms and disallowing contested elections. Minnesotans concerned about the independence of the judiciary would do well to heed the urgency in some of Anderson's final words from the bench.

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