On Monday, September 22, 2025, the Minnesota Supreme Court censured and suspended Anoka County Judge John P. Dehen for nine months without pay, effective September 29, 2025.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of John P. Dehen,” with case number A24-0694.
The suspension stems from multiple instances of misconduct, including holding court proceedings from his car and other actions deemed to severely undermine public trust in the judicial system. Should Dehen cease being a judge during the suspension, he will be barred from practicing law for the remainder of the nine months.
The Minnesota Board on Judicial Standards filed a complaint against Dehen in April, alleging violations of the code of judicial conduct. The complaint highlighted an incident where Dehen presided over a court proceeding from the passenger seat of a moving vehicle. Dehen initially told attorneys he was holding court despite being on vacation but later admitted he was attending a swim meet where his family was competing. The court order noted that three attorneys who appeared before Dehen that day testified to being “shocked” by his actions, describing them as “highly unusual and distressing” and “inappropriate.”
Further allegations included Dehen twice ordering a court administrator to increase his court reporter’s pay and exhibiting bias against non-citizen juveniles seeking special immigration status.
While Dehen denied much of the misconduct and defended his actions before a three-member investigative panel, he did concede that holding court from a vehicle was a bad idea that made the proceedings appear unprofessional. However, he maintained that his actions did not constitute ethical misconduct.
The investigative panel concluded that Dehen should be censured and suspended for six months for violating the code of judicial conduct. While the Minnesota board found no clear evidence that bias influenced Dehen’s decisions against non-citizen juveniles, it concurred that he violated policy in other areas. The board considered Dehen’s order to increase his court reporter’s pay as “particularly egregious,” leading to a recommendation of a nine-month suspension instead of six.
The Supreme Court order emphasized that Dehen’s actions wasted judicial resources and disrespected the rule of law and the administration of justice. The court further stated that Dehen showed little remorse for his actions regarding the court reporter dispute, necessitating a longer suspension to prevent future misconduct and deter similar behavior by others.
This is not the first time Dehen has faced disciplinary action. In 2006, the Minnesota Board on Judicial Standards disciplined Dehen, then a lawyer, ordering him to pay $900 for failing to label solicitations as advertising and for conduct “prejudicial to the administration of justice.” In 2022, he was also privately admonished for improper behavior as a plaintiff in a conciliation case and for abusing the prestige of his office.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
