Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2015 13:06:15 -0600
Subject: FW: Letter from Chief Public Defender on Flags in courrooms
From: <email obscured>
To: <email obscured>
Sorry for Cross Post
Hello/Boozhoo,
Here’s the letter to the editor from Kristine Kolar, Chief Public Defender in
the 9th Judicial District, which includes Bemidji, and her boss in St. Paul.
A long time friend of mine, Kristine and I discussed the flag raising in
Beltrami county courtrooms when it was announced. While I am a stonrg believer
in symbolic gestures, (Ojibwe signage, etc.) I also believe that that is just a
start, it must be followed by genuine reform and education. It ignited a
passion in Kristine and she wrote the following letter and got her boss in St.
Paul to sign it as well.
Gichi-miigwech to Kristine Kolar. (Those of you who do not know, Kristine is
married to a long-time friend of Indian country and judge in Cass County
affectionately known by Red Lakers as Niizh Mookomaanan. (Two Knives)
Mii iw minik waa-ikidoyaan (That’s all I have to say),Michael aka Omakakii aka
Biidaanakwad
Link below and story for those who might have trouble with the
link.http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/letters/3895441-letter-editor-let-courtroom-flags-serve-constant-reminder
Bemidji PioneerSearch
31°FairWEATHERHomeNewsSportsObituariesColumnsEntertainmentOutdoorsCelebrationsOpinionLETTER
TO THE EDITOR: Let courtroom flags serve as a constant reminderBy William Ward
and Kristine Kolar from Minneapolis and Bemidji Today at 1:04 a.m. Email We
applaud the district court for accepting the flags of the Leech Lake Band and
Red Lake Nation into the Beltrami County Courtrooms. Census figures show that
American Indians represent approximately 21 percent of the population in
Beltrami County, many of whom are members of the Leech Lake Band and Red Lake
Nation. The symbolism of this measure is an important step toward achieving
justice for Native people in the court system. However, if this is viewed as
the culmination of a process rather than a beginning, racial justice will
remain an illusion. Statistics from the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines
Commission show that Native American defendants in Beltrami County are
frequently treated more harshly than their white counterparts. One startling
statistic gathered by the Minnesota Sentencing Guideline Commission shows that
40 percent of Native Americans placed on felony probation between 2001 and 2012
were eventually sent to prison. Only 24 percent of similarly situated white
probationers were eventually sent to prison. The statistic excludes people who
were convicted of a new felony offense. Records collected by the Minnesota
Department of Corrections and Bureau of Criminal Apprehension show similar
disparities in Beltrami County’s juvenile court system. In 2012 and 2013,
Native American youth accounted for approximately 32 percent of delinquency
arrests, and 65.5 percent of new juvenile probation cases in Beltrami County.
By comparison, white youth accounted for approximately 64.4 percent of
delinquency arrests, and 20.5 percent of new juvenile probation cases during
the same time period. These statistics show that, in Beltrami County, Native
American youth are far more likely than white youth to receive a probationary
consequence following a delinquency arrest.Disparities like those discussed
above exist throughout criminal justice system in Beltrami County for both
juveniles and adults. Judge Benshoof expressed the hope that the placement of
all four flags in the courtroom represents the belief that these courtrooms
belong to all people in equal measure. This lofty goal has yet to be realized.
It is our hope that these flags serve as a constant reminder of a newfound
commitment to racial justice in Beltrami County. The solution is easy: treat
all people equally. William WardMinnesota State Public
DefenderMinneapolisKristine KolarNinth District Chief Public Defender Bemidji