The Minnesota Supreme Court recently conducted oral arguments at Rock Ridge High School as part of its outreach initiative aimed at educating students about the state's judicial system. Nearly 800 students attended the session, where justices heard arguments in the case of State of Minnesota v. Hames TrifIvan Contreras-Sanchez. The case was selected for its relevance to students, focusing on geofencing cell phone data.
Following the arguments, students engaged with the justices through a question-and-answer session that touched on complex legal topics. Justice Sarah Hennesy responded to a challenging question about overturning court decisions by saying, “Wow, I feel like I’m being interviewed by the governor all over again.”
The visit included a lunch prepared by family and consumer science students and informal classroom discussions between justices and students. Chief Justice Natalie Hudson expressed enthusiasm for the program, stating, “The Supreme Court Traveling Oral Arguments program is one of the highlights of the year for justices. We love meeting students and introducing them to how the court works.”
Prior to the court session, a community dinner was held with Bois Forte Band of Chippewa Tribal judges, featuring performances from Rock Ridge High School's orchestra and Night Sky Drum.
This outreach program began in 1995 to foster public trust and understanding of the judiciary. Each year, it includes visits to two high schools in Minnesota—one in spring and one in fall—with this Iron Range event marking its 55th occurrence.