Judge accused of misconduct for reprimanding volunteer court monitors

A Hennepin County District Court judge is fighting allegations that he improperly reprimanded a judicial watch group during a sentencing hearing for a convicted child molester.

The Minnesota Board on Judicial Standards is weighing the charges against judge Jack Nordby. He's the subject of a complaint by WATCH, a group of volunteer court monitors based in Minneapolis known for bringing signature red clipboards to court.

During a sentencing hearing last year, Nordby reprimanded members of WATCH in his courtroom, saying their presence and clipboards constituted an improper effort to influence his decision. He read a lengthy statement from the bench.

WATCH subsequently filed a complaint against Nordby, saying he'd improperly used a court proceeding to address and criticize the group.

Nordby is fighting the charges. A response filed with the judicial board by Nordby's attorney, Joel Friedberg, says he was properly calling attention to an effort to interfere with an ongoing court case.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.