DAVID L. PIPER
****ELECTION NEWS: David did not win, but had a respectable percentage of the vote. His opponent Jane Ranum won. She is intelligent, thoughtful, well-respected, caring, and an advocate for the judicial system. I believe she will be an excellent judge. I wish her the best and want to thank her for the positive campaign that she ran- as did I. Thank you to those voters who supported me. David 11-12-2008. ******
“As a colleague of Piper's in family court, I can ‘testify’ that he works hard at delivering fair decisions and is always respectful of the citizens who appear before him. His broad experience and judicial tenure make him uniquely qualified to be an elected judge."
– Former Hennepin County Referee Judy Mack
David L. Piper
· Impressive legal credentials
· Exceptional judicial experience
· Unquestioned temperament for the bench
· Broad community experience and appeal
David L. Piper has unbiased, balanced experience you can trust.
David L. Piper has been serving as a Hennepin County Court Family Court Referee (making the same decisions as a Family Court Judge) for the past eight years as a fair-minded, balanced and even-tempered professional with broad non-partisan support.
Trust David's peers.
59.5% of David’s lawyer peers in the Hennepin County Bar Association Poll chose David, as opposed to 40.5% for his opponent.
"As a judicial officer, David Piper is experienced, non-political, and respectful to all. David is true to the law and gives everyone a fair day in court."
-George Soule, Former Chair, Minnesota Commission on
Judicial Selection
Broad base of nonpartisan support.
David Piper’s support ranges from left to right and urban to exurban; as Judge he will represent the diversity of all of Hennepin County. That’s probably why people as far ranging as Minnesota Senator Scott Dibble and Sam & Sylvia Kaplan, to former US Senator David Durenberger and George & Sally Pillsbury are supporting David Piper for Hennepin County Judge and why David won the September 9th Primary by a wide margin.
Get to know David…
Occupation:
I’m a lawyer by training and a Hennepin County Family Court Referee at the Family Justice Center.
Describe a typical Saturday for you?
I’m up early, read my latest (Bridge of Sighs) book club book or the paper, and run errands. My favorite thing to do is to ride my bike down the Midtown Greenway to the Freewheel Bike shop café. I love to read and exercising helps alleviate some of the stress in being on the Family Court Bench.
What is the most challenging aspect of your work?
Dealing with a rather high volume of cases in an era of shrinking dollars. Most of the divorce cases we’re seeing now are people who have little equity in their homes, and are trying to keep their heads above water. It’s not only challenging to work on the front line with families who are struggling with ramifications of the mortgage crisis, but, more importantly, trying to determine what is in their children's best interests.
What do you like about your work?
I like working with people from diverse backgrounds and the court system is reflective of the diversity of our community. I really like helping people with their problems , and everyday there are different problems to solve. I want to help people to resolve their own disputes. In Family Court we work with people and help them try to figure out their own solutions to their problems, instead of the court imposing a "solution" on them. If the parties are unable to decide what is best for their families, including with the help of others, then the Court must do it for them. In sum, I have always liked "being in the trenches." It is challenging and I am always trying to determine and then implement improvements to the judicial system.
Your family has a strong legacy in Minneapolis and the Twin Cities. What impact does that legacy have on how you choose to live and to contribute?
My parents instilled a value system in us that we need to give back to our community. My mother focused much of her energy at Abbott Northwestern Hospital and my father focused his at the YMCA. Public service has been deeply imbedded in me.
Many people are aware that in 1972 your family was a victim of a kidnapping when your mother, Virginia, was abducted and then released physically unharmed three days later. How has being a victim of crime impacted how you view your roles as Lawyer, Referee, and Judge?
The crime changed everything for me and my family: My parents never even locked the doors to our house when we were away. It made me uniquely sympathetic to victims because I know from first hand experience how a serious crime doesn’t just affect the victim, it impacts an entire family and its structure for a very, very long time. It isn’t just a matter of paying restitution or getting your money back; there’s an emotional dimension for victims and families that must be addressed. I was very close to my mother and her kidnapping was devastating to me, as it shattered our tranquil and quiet life.
Why is it important to vote for local judges?
Judges can have a profound impact on the lives of people who are in the court system. Being the victim of a crime, falsely accused of a crime, having your rights impaired or being injured and having your livelihood destroyed makes it really important who the judge is to make you whole again. It’s important to have a respected, neutral and informed judiciary to resolve society’s grievances. Judges need to earn and maintain the respect of the public- if elected I intend to do just that. Judges are employed by the public - we work FOR YOU!
Why should people support you?
Elections can be confusing, especially for the public, who often do not know a lot about judicial candidates. It’s often best to trust review by your peers. Hennepin County lawyers preferred me as judge in a Hennepin County Bar Association Bar Poll by a wide margin. I won 59.5% of the lawyers' votes to my opponent's 40.5%. I also won the September 9th primary by a wide margin in a crowded field. I think I’ve gained this level of respect in part due to my judicial experience, and years of experience as a lawyer representing many varied types of clients in numerous types of cases. In sum, I have the necessary problem-solving skills, bringing to the Court a wide breadth of experience.
One final question, if you were able to have a conversation with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?
Mahatma Gandhi - how he single-handedly transformed a society by non-violent means. Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King are tied for a close second for the same reasons.