Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Anne McKeig was thinking about the mental toll of judicial work on the state’s judges, and she wondered what she could do to help. So she sent out an email to the rest of the judges in the state: “Let’s start a court band.” Via the Minnesota Star Tribune:
They dubbed the band the Reasonable Doubts, a nod to the legal standard of proof in most criminal cases (as in, beyond a reasonable doubt). As the band came together, judges from all over the state joined.
“It’s a group of people that probably would not normally be hanging out with each other, but who have really come together just out of the joy of music,” McKeig said.
The group, which members say is the only all-judge band in Minnesota, began holding practices at the Wirth Center for the Performing Arts in St. Cloud after working hours.
Supreme Court Justice Sarah Hennesy, Wirth Center Executive Director James Newman’s wife, is a member of the group. Newman said music can help develop skills for professional success, so he wasn’t too surprised when the all-judge group came together.
“Music and art are so good for people,” he said. “As a respite from our busy daily lives, and a mental health relief and an emotional outlet.”
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