Audio available of Chief Justice Anderson's press conference

The audio (it’s pretty rough) of Chief Justice Anderson’s phone press conference is available at the MPR web site. Chief Justice Anderson took questions for about 20 minutes. He basically stuck to what is in his statement and the articles in Pioneer Press and Star Tribune.

I would add that listening to the tape gives one and even stronger sense that Sen. Johnson is not telling the truth. Pat Lopez of the Star Tribune asked three times in three different ways tough questions to establish that the conversations Johnson says took place did, indeed, NOT take place. Chief Justice Anderson was firm each time. The conversation did not take place., specifically, the conversation with retired Cief Justice Kathleen Blatz about the marriage amendment did NOT take place.

Tom Hauser of KSTP noted that Johnson said that judges come over to the legislature and have conversations with legislators about the operation of the court and that during those conversations, casual conversation about cases comes up. Chief Justice Anderson replied that is not true.

Justice Anderson did say that members of the court do talk with legislators about the budget and operations of the court, and they do advise the legislature on the judicial impact of laws, for example how a specific law might increase the caseload of the court. But he reiterated, Judges do not talk about specific laws and specific cases and how they might rule on cases brought as a result of a law. It does not happen, said Justice Anderson repeatedly.