Anoka's new courts chief to be sworn in

Like the 17 judges in her jurisdiction, Anoka County's new court administrator will be sworn into office later this month.

Court administrator is one of the few local government jobs created in the state Constitution, and Jennifer Schlieper admits she's a bit nervous about filling the shoes of Jane Morrow, who held the post for the past 30 years.

"I wouldn't even try to fill them," Schlieper said. "Jane is so humble about the job she's done. I don't intend to fix what's not broken."

Schlieper, 33, already has a history with the Tenth Judicial District, which includes Anoka, Washington and six other counties. For the last 10 years, she managed Washington County's criminal court division and the finances for that county's court system. She also played a large role in the construction of the new county courthouse in Stillwater, which was completed last fall.

In her new job, Schlieper and her staff will coordinate the processing of several hundred daily court cases. Her duties will include the overall management of the Anoka County District Court, which has 17 resident judges, a 34-person judicial support staff and 81 court administration staff members. She'll be responsible for a $5.5 million annual operating budget and processing upwards of $10 million in fine and fee revenue and other collections. Last year, Anoka County had 61,262 case filings.

Schlieper's staff processes every civil, criminal, traffic, family, probate, mental health, juvenile and conciliation case. This work includes developing and operating a case management system, summoning jurors for trials, safeguarding exhibits, and planning for space and budgets needed to support local court operations.

Schlieper will work closely with attorneys, corrections employees, law enforcement officials, jail staff and elected local officials, including the sheriff and county attorney. A large portion of staff time is spent helping citizens involved in legal proceedings understand and navigate their way through the courts.

Although Morrow was a courthouse institution, she preferred to keep a low profile. She said she has known Schlieper for several years and has no doubt that she will do a great job.

"I am grateful to have had such a wonderful job for so many years," Morrow said. "I will miss the people and the issues that one encounters in such a position."

She answered an ad

Schlieper, raised in Shoreview, wasn't sure where her career was headed when she graduated from the University of Minnesota. After a short stint in the corporate world, she saw an ad for a supervisory position in the Washington County court system.

She handled some major changes in the court system there during her decade-long tenure. The most significant came in 2005, when court systems were funded by the state and not individual counties, she said. This was done in part to help ensure that smaller county systems would be properly funded, she said.

While Anoka County's courthouse is a larger operation than Washington County's, Schlieper said both counties are dealing with fast-growing and diverse populations. She has heard that Anoka County may be looking at some minor expansion of the courthouse, but she hasn't met with any of the county leaders. She is excited to be part of a new wave of county leadership that includes a new county attorney, sheriff and several county commissioners.

"I believe in very strong partnerships with all the county players who come to the courthouse," she said. "And I think the courts need a strong advocate for all the professionals who do the work and educate the public about the different roles they play."

David Chanen • 612-673-4465