Jane Ranum

Click here to see video of the candidate.

Born: Aug. 21, 1947; Davidson, N.C.

Education:

• Hamline University School of Law, J.D., 1979
• East Carolina University, B.S., 1969

• Hennepin County Attorney's Office, assistant county attorney, 1982-present
• Minnesota Senate, District 63 senator, 1991-2006
• Minnesota 4th Judicial District, law clerk to Judge William Posten, 1982
• Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Schools, teacher, 1972-76
• Baumholder Department of Defense School, teacher, 1970-72
• Durham Public Schools, teacher, 1969-70

• Minnesota Women Lawyers

• Westminster Presbyterian Church

Hobbies/Interests: Reading, spending time with family and friends, travel

Family: Husband, James; one daughter

Website: www.janeranumforjudge.com

Why do you want to be a judge?
Research on courts finds that people believe justice is served if their voices are heard and the process is fair. My 26 years as a prosecutor, working with victims and communities impacted by crime, confirm that finding, as do my 16 years as a state senator hearing constituent concerns. As a child growing up in the segregated South, I learned that one person can make a difference. Judges can have a profound impact on people's lives. I want to use what I've learned through public service to be a judge who listens and is well prepared, ethical and fair.

Why should voters select you rather than your opponent?
Court calendars are overwhelmed with difficult civil and criminal cases where social, human and legal problems intersect. Judges need to understand the complex interactions among domestic violence, addiction and mental health. I gained that understanding working with victims of abuse and neglect, teaching Head Start and elementary students, and serving on Supreme Court task forces on juvenile reforms and chemical dependency. Effective judges also must be problem solvers, bringing parties together to find workable solutions when justice is best served by settlement rather than trial. I have a Senate record of bringing diverse parties together to pass major bipartisan legislation.

What experience do you have with the court on which you wish to sit?
I have spent my entire legal career in Hennepin County. In 1982, I first served as a judicial law clerk to Judge William Posten. Later that year, I joined the Hennepin County Attorney's Office in the Child Support Enforcement Division, then moved to juvenile court handling both child protection and juvenile delinquency cases. Beginning in 1988, I prosecuted adults charged with violent crimes before juries. Between 1991 and 2006, I worked in HCAO when the Legislature was not in session, handling child protection, juvenile and mental health commitment cases. I am currently senior attorney on the drug prosecution team.

What are the major issues facing this court?
Minnesota's judicial system has long been recognized for its excellence, but that reputation is now being threatened by inadequate state funding for the judiciary and its criminal and civil justice partners. In 2008, the Legislature cut $4 million from the judiciary budget at a time when caseloads are increasing in number and in complexity. Cuts to public defense and civil legal services also threaten equal access to justice. In Hennepin County, federal funding cuts for case management create even greater challenges in dealing with cases involving vulnerable populations like abused and neglected children and the mentally ill.

How can these issues realistically be addressed?
First, it is very important that the judiciary develop a strategic plan to educate the community at large, legislators and the governor about the needs of the justice system and the impacts of budget cuts on the administration of justice. Second, the judiciary in Hennepin County must apply more best-practice problem solving in its courts, as advocated by the Center for Court Innovation. For example, the changes made in Hennepin County drug court in the past 18 months have resulted in improved outcomes for defendants, greater public safety in the community and improved public confidence in the judiciary.

What role, if any, should politics play in judicial campaigns? (for example, party endorsements, discussions of political views, etc...)
Minnesota has a long-standing and respected tradition of nonpartisanship in judicial elections. This tradition has fostered the public's trust in Minnesota's judges to provide an unbiased interpretation of the law, regardless of the political implications. I respectfully disagree with the White decision. I will abide by the Hennepin County Bar Association's Standards of Conduct for Judicial Campaigns; therefore, I will not accept any political party endorsements, will refrain from expressing views on disputed political and legal issues, and will not solicit funds from any political party.

What else would you like voters to know about your candidacy?
I would encourage voters to go to my campaign website (www.janeranumforjudge.com) and learn more about my lifetime record of public service, which I believe has prepared me well to serve as a Hennepin County judge.