Comment #: MN116
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Robben was assigned to an Order of Protection evidentiary hearing my abuser requested after he was served with the ex parte OFP by me. Both the abuser and I had lawyers. I had police reports, videos of physical abuse happening in real time, pictures of physical abuse, text messages from the abuser detailing abuse he did, and audio recordings of the abuser’s active abuse. The judge ruled that because I had gone back to the abuser during the years of our marriage that an OFP wouldn’t be granted. He ruled this after he stated in his ruling, as shown also in the court transcript, that he had never seen a worse liar in all his years on the bench (referring to my abuser). My lawyer read off every MN statute requirement for OFP’s in court and stated that my case met every single requirement. But despite these statements and facts of the case, Judge Robben denied the OFP request.

Both my lawyer and the domestic violence advocate at the hearing with me were stunned by his remarks because of decades of research evidence and current “Domestic Abuse 101 training” showing that a domestic violence victim goes back to their abuser 7-9 times, on average. That going back is part of the abuse cycle. And often times, victims don’t have anywhere to turn. In my case, my abuser controlled all of our finances.

And Hennepin County judges were supposed to have gotten training on this as part of a systemic overhaul to the judicial system in terms of domestic violence education and training. I ended up moving out of state because he continued to stalk me, but I didn’t think I could get any help. He is now physically abusing his new girlfriend. Judge Robben’s blatant biases and blatant ignorance regarding domestic violence is literally putting people’s lives in danger.

Comment #: MN84
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Robben is a bad judge. He has made a mockery of our justice system and is non-deserving of the high honor of the robe that he wears. He further abuses domestic abuse victims in the courtroom and allows their young children to return to sexually abusive situations even after the child reports it to professionals. He is a criminal who writes fraudulent testimony within his so-called findings of facts. He falsifies court transcripts too. If you are assigned this judge, don't waste any money on an attorney because he makes up his mind who to choose for child custody long before any trial begins.

Comment #: MN81
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
He is such a biased person ,he destroyed my whole life ,I proved over and over in the court but he is such an evil person ,he needs to see some therapist ,he discussed my case after my OFP to my advocate outside the court,I have been assigned another judge but after a week of talking to my advocate outside of court regarding my case,he transferred my case to himself ,which was illegal and he kept playing with my emotions.He sure deserves hell.I wish what you did to me comes back to your children.

Comment #: MN73
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
The experience our family had with Judge Robben is so tragic that you had to live it to believe what took place in his courtroom. Despite evidence and testimony he refused to believe he had been "hoodwinked" by the petitioner time and time again. He destroyed our family by taking away two children that were loved so much by their father and his entire family. Three years have past and he has yet to compel the petitioner to reunite these children. The basis of this case was all built on lies that were proven over and over in his courtroom. All proof fell on "deaf ears"! The only "real abuse" in our case was the brain washing and alienation of affection the petitioner did to these children. Her reason was pure and simple revenge!

Comment #: MN64
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Robben is asleep at the wheel and completely overwhelmed! He puts in little to no thought or effort and it is obvious he puts no thought or time into his findings. He is a horrible judge and an ego maniac! I hope his son/daughter goes through the aamehell he puts people through.

Comment #: MN59
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Robben granted my divorce after my lawyer Rachel Donarski (now in ND) sent the paperwork through Henn Ctr. Without my husband signing a waiver. No hearing. We were't even gonna get divorced after waiting for her ( stressed, injured) for 11/2 years! Now, Henn Co is safe as Referee Hutchinson decided the case allowing vacating the divorce was-"murkey". I guess no legal representation or waiver in court wasn't enough. My latest lawyer got husband's name wrong. If I didn't laugh I'd cry. God is bigger than Henn Co.We are married.

Comment #: MN50
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge robben is a very bias judge. His ruling through the whole case was based on hear say. I had actual evidence showing that I was being harassed by my child's father and his girlfriend and told me because I chose to move away from the situation that I was in the wrong. He never look at the actions of the other party just mine and he took my child away from me and refused to give me any custody back. He felt that even though me and my child have a very good bond he made his ruling on who had the more financially stable . he felt that since I'm not able to afford a trip from chicago to Phoenix two weeks that I was financially unstable. He didnt care that me and my child had a strong bond nor did he care that the child had siblings. He felt that I should be ok with just seeing my child on a video chat what the other party saw fit. He wants to me that because I moved that I was emotionally endangering my child because by keeping my child away from the other parent which wasnt true, but yet make a ruling of the exact same but don't feel that its not emotionally harming by making sure he's keeping a child away from her mother with this ruling. Its been a year since I physically seen my child and now I have to try to save to go all the way to Phoenix to try to get my baby home. Long story short this judge completely destroyed my family with his unfair, bias ,one sided ruling!

Comment #: MN32
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
I am a pro-se litigant dealing with a family court matter before Judge Patrick D Robben.

Based on my experience, Judge Robben is very slow to issue a ruling. It has been common to receive an order on the last day, by law, that one must be submitted.

In my case, I submitted 20+ pages of evidence regarding my issue. Judge Robben disregarded the evidence and instead rule on the hearsay testimony of the other party. Judge Robben's order included personal remarks about me that were negative, defamatory and were not issues brought up in hearing by the other party. When I filed a motion for reconsideration, Judge Robben denied the motion and refused to look at additional evidence I gathered... at that point the other party had lied in court regarding material facts, which could be easily proven. So now Judge Robben's ruling is based on lies, and since he refuses to consider the evidence I have no recourse.

Judge Robben also seems to overly rely on the use of Guardian ad Litems, and rubber stamp whatever recommendations are made, even if those recommendations violate state law or Best Interest factors. In my case, Judge Robben asked the GAL to perform duties beyond what a GAL is mandated to perform (mediate between parties, give psychological opinions, facilitate parenting time). When I objected, I was placed into supervised parenting time without any justifiable reason.

Judge Robben also seems biased against victims of domestic violence, and takes the stance that an abuse victim is "hostile" or "not cooperative" or "engaging in conflict". His rulings have posed a risk to my safety, and have promoted parental alienation.