Ortman requests review of family court cases

The Chaska Herald reports that State Senator Julianne Ortman has requested an independent review of family court cases, processes and procedures in the First Judicial District, which Carver County is a part of.

Over recent months, the Lea Banken case has received significant media attention.  Banken is involved in a custody dispute with her ex-husband Jeremy.  Disputing the decisions made by Judge Richard Perkins, Banken has taken to the internet and started the site carvercountycorruption.com to document the proceedings in the case.  The blog in itself has become an issue in the case, as the version of the site hosted here at wordpress.com has been effectively shut down.

The Banken case is just one of several cases that have gone through the Carver County family courts that have raised eyebrows among observers across the ideological spectrum.  Ortman’s request, which is also supported by Carver County State Representatives Joe Hoppe and Ernie Leidiger is a useful step in ensuring public trust in the county’s courts.

The text of Ortman’s letter is available on Banken’s blog.