Yesterday's DJ had Heavy workload is incentive for consensus, says Justice Jennifer Detjen
Reaching consensus isn’t just a matter of maintaining collegiality, said 5th District Court of Appeal Justice Jennifer R.S. Detjen. These days, it’s also a workload issue. “Our system is set up to get these cases done every month and get them filed,” Detjen said. “The minute you dissent, it slows the whole process down, but the cases keep coming. My focus now is how can we agree on this issue? How can we frame it in a way where we can all agree so we can reach a consensus?”
Detjen estimated the 5th District justices spend 80% of their time on criminal cases.
Detjen grew up outside Seattle. Her first inkling she might want to go into the law was on a school trip to a courthouse when she was 12 and thought it would be a beautiful setting for a career. After graduating from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1981, she “applied everywhere,” landing in Madera County.
The first things a visitor to Detjen’s chambers might notice are the dozens of finisher medals from long distance running events. She’s run multiple marathons and completed races in a variety of locations. One of her notable races was a half marathon where part of the course went along the Great Wall of China.
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