Judge Richard Mearly

I used to have some sympathy for increased funding of the judicial system. For a long time many judges in Minnesota have decried the lack of funding for the court system. Chief Justice Lorie Skjervan Gildea has warned that, “I'm hearing from judges who have a real fear that they are making mistakes because they are overloaded and the courts are understaffed.”  

My experience with Judge Mearly has changed my mind. The issue isn't that judges are overworked, although I am sure there are many, but that there are too many judges like Mearly who barely work. Mearly would come to Court completely unprepared often not having even read the dockets. I highly doubt he even wrote a word of any of his findings but rather had one of his clerks or the opposing attorney do so. My sense is that he spends about six hours a day working and most of that time is unproductive. Furthermore, based on his last minute rescheduling of hearings, I suspect he is often not even in the office.

Mearly is an intimidating, belittling and unpleasant person in court. At one point after letting Nelly Wince go on and on with horrible lies abut me, Mearly cut me off immediately when I tried to correct them stating I was, “Wasting the Court's time.” I believe Mearly had no intent to be just or fair in my case. He knew Nelly Wince too well and was personally offended that I had had spoken the truth about Wince and my lawyers.

Mearly is well known for being a “hothead” as local media reports describe him.

One of the many bizarre incidents is that when the order for temporary spousal support was coming to an end and I had no response from Spring or Nelly Wince on negotiations as they were required by Court order to do, I called Mearly's office on whether that meant support automatically ended after the temporary period (the relevant order was unclear) and was told to write a letter to Mearly. I did so but he never even replied.

And of course Judge Mearly completely ignored the evidence that Nelly Wince lied in court. To me that shows just how pervasively and perversely corrupt family court is in Minnesota.

Richard Mearly is truly an embarrassment to the legal system but what is more infuriating is that his behavior goes unquestioned. Judges have way too much power in Minnesota and it is sadly natural that for many of the less moral judges their power is used to hurt the innocent in order boost their own egos. “Power Corrupts,” is one of the oldest adages there is.

One of the reasons Massachusetts reformed their divorce laws in 2011 is for that alimony in family court was arbitrary and varied widely by judge. Although the law is far from perfect at least judges in Massachusetts now have have clear guidelines for the duration of alimony. It is highly unlikely I would have had to pay permanent alimony if I was covered under the Massachusetts statutes.