♪ >> CATHY: THE MINNESOTA STATE SUPREME COURT HAS A NEW TOP JUDGE.

ON THURSDAY, ASSOCIATE JUSTICE THEODORA GAITAS TOOK THE OATH TO BECOME CHIEF JUSTICE THEODORA GAITAS.

SHE WAS APPOINTED TO THE COURT IN 2024 AFTER STINTS AS A PUBLIC DEFENDER, DISTRICT COURT JUDGE, AND A MEMBER OF THE MN COURT OF APPEALS.

WELCOME, MADAM CHIEF JUSTICE, GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I'M DELIGHTED TO BE HERE.

>> Cathy: YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR JOB TO SOMEONE WHO REALLY DOESN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE COURT SYSTEM?

>> WELL, IT'S BASICALLY THREE JOBS.

I AM GOING TO CONTINUE FUNCTIONING AS A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, SO PARTICIPATING WITH MY COLLEAGUES TO DECIDE SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS THAT COME BEFORE THE COURT, WRITING OPINIONS.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THE JOBS.

THE SECOND JOB IS LEADING THE COURT, MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF THE JUSTICES ARE ON THE SAME PAGE AND PROVIDING GUIDANCE FOR THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COURT.

AND THEN THE THIRD JOB IS REALLY THE ENORMOUS JOB, AND THAT IS BEING THE HEAD OF THE ENTIRE JUDICIAL BRANCH.

>> Eric: IN THE '27 LEGISLATIVE SESSION I GUESS CHIEF HUDSON WAS TALKING ABOUT ASKING FOR TEN MORE JUDGES, MAYBE A 10% PAY INCREASE FOR JUSTICES AND JUDGES.

WHAT'S THE RATIONALE BEHIND THOSE FIGURES?

>> YEAH, SO THE MINNESOTA JUDICIAL SYSTEM IS FACING SOME BIG CHALLENGES AHEAD.

WE DID A CAREFUL STUDY OF HOW JUDGES ARE SPENDING THEIR TIME, AND THE RESULTS OF THAT STUDY SHOW THAT WE ARE SHORT ABOUT 30 TO 33 JUDGES HERE IN MINNESOTA.

AND WE NEED A PLAN TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH JUDGES TO GET ALL OF THAT WORK DONE AND, SO, E'LL BE ASKING THE LEGISLATURE IN 2027 FOR TEN NEW JUDGESHIPS.

AND THE CONCERN WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH JUDGES TO DO THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IS THAT THE PUBLIC IS AFFECTED AT EVERY LEVEL.

OF COURSE, THE COURTS DEAL WITH PUBLIC SAFETY.

THAT'S SOMETHING WHERE WE'RE -- THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE ALL VERY FAMILIAR WITH.

JUST ABOUT EVERY MINNESOTAN HAS SOME ENCOUNTER WITH THE JUSTICE SYSTEM AT SOME POINT.

PROBATE, FOR EXAMPLE, AND WHEN THE COURTS ARE UNDERJUDGED, THEY ARE NOT AS EFFICIENT AND BACKLOGS OCCUR.

THIS IS ALSO A BIG AREA OF CONCERN FOR BUSINESS.

A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT AN INEFFECTIVE SYSTEM HAS ON BUSINESS IN A STATE.

SO THESE ARE CHALLENGES THAT WE WANT TO GET AHEAD OF BY REQUESTING NEW JUDGESHIPS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO SERVE THE PUBLIC EFFECTIVELY.

>> Cathy: YOU NO, I'M WONDERING -- YOU KNOW, I'M WONDERING, IF THERE'S A LACK OF JUDGES, WOULDN'T BE THE FEEDER SYSTEM BE ATTORNEYS, RIGHT?

AND THERE'S A LACK OF ATTORNEYS, I UNDERSTAND, AS WELL?

>> YES.

IN GREATER MINNESOTA, N PARTICULAR, WE ARE NOW SEEING A PHENOMENON THAT IS BEING REFERRED TO AS LEGAL DESERTS WHERE THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH LAWYERS IN SOME AREAS TO SATISFY THE LEGAL NEEDS THAT EXIST IN THOSE PARTICULAR AREAS.

AND THAT IS A REAL PROBLEM.

>> Cathy: WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THAT?

>> THERE SEEMS TO BE A POPULATION LOSS AND PERHAPS PEOPLE ARE NOT AS INTERESTED IN GREATER MINNESOTA PRACTICE AS THEY USED TO BE.

AND SOME OF THE LAW SCHOOLS ARE TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF THAT PARTICULAR PROBLEM.

I KNOW THAT St.

THOMAS LAW SCHOOL HAS AN AFFINITY GROUP FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PRACTICING LAW IN GREATER MINNESOTA.

AND I THINK THOSE KINDS OF EFFORTS EARLY ON, ENCOURAGING YOUNG ATTORNEYS TO PURSUE CAREERS IN GREATER MINNESOTA COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

BUT CURRENTLY THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT WE'RE FACING.

>> Eric: ARE THREATS INCREASING AGAINST JUDGES?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

YES.

JUDICIAL SECURITY IS A BIG CONCERN, AND WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH DURING THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO GET SOME FUNDING TO HELP US ADDRESS THAT PROBLEM.

BUT CERTAINLY IT IS ONE OF MY TOP PRIORITIES AS I'M BEGINNING MY TENURE AS CHIEF JUSTICE, MAKING SURE THAT OUR JUDGES THROUGHOUT THE STATE ARE SECURE.

>> Cathy: CAN I ASK YOU A PERSONAL QUESTION?

>> SURE.

>> Cathy: DO YOU GET THREATS?

>> YOU KNOW, I HAVE HAD ISSUES IN THE PAST, YES, CERTAINLY.

I THINK ALMOST EVERY JUDGE HAS -- ESPECIALLY JUDGES IN THE DISTRICT COURT LEVEL.

THESE ARE JUDGES WHO ARE MAKING VERY CONTROVERSIAL DECISIONS, THEY'RE HAVING FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTIONS WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE OFTEN UNHAPPY WITH HOSE DECISIONS.

AND THAT IS A PLACE WHERE THREATS ARE OFTEN INITIATED, UNFORTUNATELY.

YES, I MYSELF HAVE HAD CONCERNING SITUATIONS.

>> Cathy: BEST OF LUCK.