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 joined the Minnesota Supreme Court, filling the seat left vacant by Associate Justice Alan Page's retirement this summer. 

Today, just a few weeks into her new role, Hudson joined 

 to discuss her new role, and how the judicial branch — which she called "the least understood" branch of government — can better communicate with the community. 


In the cover letter she submitted for the position — which Gov. Mark Dayton read from when he appointed her — Hudson wrote:

Hudson reiterated that a fair, respectful process is critical in shaping how citizens view the judicial system and the decisions that come out of it.

"I think people can often live with a result — even if that result is not the one they wanted or is a negative result — if they feel like the process has been fair, and they have been heard," Hudson said. 

When it comes to recent issues of police brutality that have filled headlines across the country, and with 

 in Minneapolis this weekend, Hudson emphasized the need for transparency.

"In this situation, it will be important for the police and others to try to be as transparent as possible in what they are doing to investigate this matter," she said. "That is how you begin to overcome some of the mistrust." 

She acknowledged the continuing need for judges and other members of the judicial system and criminal justice system to "do a self-report card every now and then and say: 'Am I treating the person that's in front of me in the same fashion that I would treat others? Or, if I'm holding them to different standards, why would I do that?'"

Dayton names Natalie Hudson to state Supreme Court

To listen to the full discussion with Associate Justice Natalie E. Hudson, use the audio player above.

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Judge Natalie E. Hudson joined the Minnesota Supreme Court last month. "There's a level of gravity at the Supreme Court that I'm certainly conscious of, in that it is the court of last resort," Hudson said.

Meet the newest member of the MN Supreme Court

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