Transparency in the Courts

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Rep. Tony Cornish Denies Corruption Exists in Courts, Admits to Cozy Relationship with Judges

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“Everything secret degenerates, even the administration of justice;
nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity.” ~Lord Acton~

In this audio, Tim Kinley and Dede Evavold discuss the rampant judicial misconduct in Dakota County and MN with State Representative Tony Cornish. Cornish is the Chairman of the Minnesota House Public Safety and Security Policy and Finance Committee.

The Minnesota House Public Safety and Security Policy and Finance Committee oversees and funds all areas within public safety, including the court system, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and other corrections and justice programs.

Below are random excerpts from the video:

Tim Kinley: It’s the legislature’s job to oversee the judiciary. We’ve got one of the most corrupt courts in the nation and the reason is because MN is able to hide it so well. While alot of other states are finding judges that are getting paid off and doing other things and getting caught and having the legislature deal with it, our state does nothing. They don’t even look at it. There’s been no official hearings since 2004.

Rep. Cornish: To tell you the truth, I’m about the worst person to come and ask because I get along well with judges, I write ’em letters for a reference to place them in their positions… So I’m about the worst person in the world to come and ask for a hearing on the claim that our court is corrupt.

Tim Kinley: The problem is, it’s the legislature’s responsibility.

Rep. Cornish: We don’t bring judges in front of us and have tribunals.

Tim Kinley: Why not? You can, you should.

Rep. Cornish: I suppose we can do anything we want to.  As far as a hearing, I can have any type of hearing I want to. I don’t know, I guess we have a big disconnect, I don’t see the corruption that you do.

Tim Kinley: Well you’re not willing to hear about it.

Rep Cornish: I’ve been hearing about it for at least… 2 people came all the way down to Good Thunder to talk about it. I’m sorry I’m just not interested. I don’t want to have a hearing like that. <– Note: As a Member of the House of Representatives, it is Rep. Cornish’s job to represent the constituents or people, and defend their well-being… and NOT promote his own personal interests or agenda!

Tim Kinley: Our structure, as far as judicial discipline and our constitution, is the same as the federal. House hears the case, senate for impeachment and the senate if they impeach, try it. That’s our system, that’s in our constitution. It just hasn’t happened.

Rep. Cornish: See, this is the whole thing with me is that the complaints usually come from somebody who felt they were wronged and they want to right it. If they’ve lost a case in our system, I’m supposed to somehow believe the whole system went wrong?

Tim Kinley: Well the whole system here is a prosecutor and judge.

Rep. Cornish: I don’t know what to believe. I think it would just be another case of “he said she said” and everybody would be frustrated and mad on both sides, and we would accomplish nothing.

(Note: This is very reason why a hearing is needed – to take testimony, review evidence and conduct an independent inquiry!)

Tim Kinley: Checks and balances. It is a separate branch of government, but each branch has a checks and balance. The checks and balance on the judiciary is nonexistent from the legislature. When you’ve got a Board of Judicial Standards that’s beholden to the Judiciary, they all get their licenses from the Supreme Court, you can’t say anything bad about the court. It’s just unbelievable that you have over 400 and some judges in the state and over the last one hundred years none of them have done anything wrong? It’s just impossible, the odds are against it.