A state panel is recommending that an Anoka County judge be censured and suspended without pay for six months after being accused of discrimination towards non-citizens, among other allegations.
The three-person panel on Thursday filed its recommendation regarding District Judge John Dehen to the Minnesota Supreme Court, which will make the decision. The panel determined that Dehen had violated a series of judicial conduct codes, failed to comply with the law and showed prejudice.
An attorney for Dehen did not immediately return a request for comment late Friday.
The conclusions of the panel stem from a complaint filed against Dehen by the Board on Judicial Standards in April 2024, regarding three series of incidents in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
The 23-page report says Dehen displayed prejudice in five cases in 2023 when he was asked to appoint guardians for at-risk juveniles, according to court records.
The appointment of such a guardian under Minnesota law allows a juvenile to then apply for special immigration status under federal law. However, immigration status is not to be considered when deciding if a petitioner qualifies as an at-risk juvenile.
The panel found that Dehen wrongfully asked the petitioners about their immigration status and took the position that immigration benefits do not align with Minnesota’s at-risk juvenile guardianship statute.
The panel concluded Dehen’s position is contrary to state and federal law, and that he acted with prejudice toward the petitioners based on their national origin, ethnicity, language and immigration status.
