Pierce Butler & the Constitution (Ella Baker)

Justice Pierce Butler was the first Minnesotan to serve on the United States Supreme Court. This discussion includes a discussion of Butler’s career as an attorney and his seventeen years on the United States. This talk will cover Butler’s famous dissent in the First Amendment case Near v. Minnesota and Morehead New York et al v. Tipaldo which sparked Franklin Roosevelt’s court packing plan.

James David Fleming

Criminal Trial Instructor

Jim Fleming is a retired attorney. He practiced for 36 years doing trial work as public defender, prosecutor and private criminal defense. Jim's lifelong interest has been history, particularly history of the American justice system. Fleming is a Board member of the Ramsey County Historical Society and serves on the editorial board. Fleming has presented on American trials throughout Minnesota. He recently co-authored a two part article on Supreme Court Justice Pierce Butler which will appear in Ramsey County History , Volume 61, Nos. 1 and 2 2026.