1. What are your expectations of attorneys (both defense and state) at arraignment?

• Attorneys should bring their calendars to the hearing so that future dates may be scheduled

2. What do you see as the bench’s role in settlement at the pretrial stage?

• In bench trials, the Court does not become deeply involved in settlement conferences
• In jury trials, the Court is willing to facilitate settlement conferences

3. If so, what limitations do you place on ex parte contacts with your staff?

• Parties may contact staff regarding procedural and/or scheduling matters
• Parties may not contact staff regarding the substance of the case

4. When a matter is assigned to you for trial, do you attempt to facilitate settlement before beginning trial?

• Yes

5. When in trial, what hours do you normally use for the trial itself (including breaks and lunch recesses)?

• Trials run from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 or 5:00 p.m., with a break for lunch from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.  The Court will attempt to break approximately every hour and a half

6. What policies do you have concerning weapons, firearms and ammunition exhibits in the courtroom?

• Ammunition must be separated from firearms
• Firearms and weapons must be disabled with tie-bands

7. What policies do you have concerning drugs and other sensitive exhibits in the courtroom?

• Drugs and other sensitive exhibits must be sealed in plastic envelopes

8. Do you have any other specific policies concerning exhibits?

• Exhibits must be pre-marked in advance of trial

9. When do you discuss proposed jury instructions with attorneys?

• The Court will discuss proposed jury instructions with attorneys prior to the start of trial

10. What are your policies concerning jury sequestration?

• The Court disfavors sequestration

11. Do you have any specific policies or practices concerning pre-sentence investigations or sentencing?

• The Court will order pre-sentence investigations consistent with Minnesota law
• During sentencing, victim impact statements must be directed to the Court

Denise Reilly
Originally published in the February 1998 issue.
Author: Thorwald Anderson

Judge Reilly’s personal life is as varied as her professional career. She lived with her family in Japan during her high school years and graduated from high school there. Her undergraduate degree was earned at the College of Wooster in Wooster Ohio, where she met her future husband, Kevin. She then graduate cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law. While in law school she received two American Jurisprudence Awards given to the top student in particular courses.

She is the mother of two teenage sons and, in addition to taking an active interest in their activities, has managed to participate in numerous community and civic activities. Judge Reilly serves on the professional advisory board of the Epilepsy Foundation and is a member of the vestry of her church. She also is a mock trial coach at Orono High School.

This author knew our new judge for eight years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and everyone there was amazed at her energy, enthusiasm, and cheerful presence. It seemed that she always had a high school class under her wing touring the courthouse. Her own busy schedule never seemed to limit her ability to tackle some community or extracurricular professional task. Judge Reilly was an able and a willing teacher, leading classes over the entire state dealing with law enforcement subjects.

Denise Reilly’s most endearing quality is the ability to take her job and profession seriously without taking herself seriously. For example, rather than decorating her office with every diploma and award ever written in the Latin language, Judge Reilly has in her chamber her kindergarten diploma and a photograph of her sixth-grade graduating class. It is a gentle and polite put-down to those of us who wear a cowboy hat but have no cattle.

Judge Reilly is all substance without puffery or pretense. She will devastate the unprepared; reach out a helping hand to the new, inexperienced, and nervous lawyer; cheerfully and graciously learn from the prepared lawyer; and honor all.

The citizens and lawyers of Hennepin County are going to be well served by our new judge. Years in the future all will agree that she matched the high standards set by her predecessor.

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