Re-Elect Judge Bev Benson for

4th Judicial District Seat 53

Dear Hennepin County Resident:

I want to thank you for electing me as a Judge in Hennepin County. I am honored to serve in that role, listening to people from all walks of life who appear in our courtrooms. The voices and perspectives of victims, defendants, family members, community members, probation and parole officers, attorneys, court interpreters, and law enforcement are all valued and heard shaping the basis of fair and just decisions.

I am running for re-election to continue as a judge who cares, who listens, and who is committed to delivering equal access to justice for all people who appear in court. As both a criminal and family court judge, I have presided at times over both the Restorative Court and Community Court calendars. In Restorative Court in collaboration with the Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office, the Hennepin County Public Defender’s Office, and the Hennepin County Social Workers, I witness interventions addressing housing, mental health, employment and chemical dependency. These are frequently the underlying reasons and issues triggering people to commit low-level non-violent offenses.

As a member of the Fourth Judicial District Equal Justice Committee, I served with other committee members, the Bar Association and Private Law Firms to organize a forum entitled, ” Bending the Arc Toward Justice: A Review of the MN Supreme Court Racial Bias Task Force Committee Report Revisited” held at St. Thomas Law School last year. I continue to serve on the “Warrant Forgiveness Hotline Committee,” that focuses on developing processes and policies for people who missed their court appearance to get their cases rescheduled back into Court.

As a judge, I have worked with judicial interns and law students, community members, new attorneys and law enforcement candidates who appear in court as observers.

I have also served as a mock trial and moot court judge, guest speaker at Augsburg University and Hamline University on “Criminal Justice in America“, and guest trainer for probation and parole officers for the Minnesota Department of Corrections.

We are all experiencing the impact of COVID-19 on all aspects of our personal, economic, and community lives. I recently participated in trainings presented by the National Judicial College entitled, “Lessons Learned Around the World About How Courts Operate During Pandemic,” and “The Neuroscience of a Pandemic Response: How Judges Operate in Times of Societal Crisis.” I have also participated with other judges and staff in critical conversations about how the courts will reopen and operate while taking into account the safety of the public and all court participants.

This is a time for us all to work together to make sure we can provide the best in service to our Hennepin County community. I am ready to work hard to ensure a court system that can make us all proud: based upon procedural fairness, accountability and compassion.

I appreciate and would be honored to have your vote for re-election as judge on November 3, 2020, for Seat 53.