Minnesota Court of Appeals

Last updated

Minnesota Court of Appeals
Seal of Minnesota.svg
Minnesota Court of Appeals
44°57′16″N93°6′1″W / 44.95444°N 93.10028°W / 44.95444; -93.10028
EstablishedNovember 1, 1983 (1983-11-01)
Jurisdiction Minnesota, United States
Location Saint Paul
Coordinates 44°57′16″N93°6′1″W / 44.95444°N 93.10028°W / 44.95444; -93.10028
Composition methodNonpartisan election, appointment by the governor if filling midterm vacancy
Authorized by Minnesota Constitution
Appeals to Minnesota Supreme Court
Judge term length6 years (mandatory retirement at the age of 70)
Number of positions19
Website Official website
Chief Judge
Currently Jennifer Frisch
SinceDecember 31, 2024
Lead position endsDecember 31, 2027
Jurist term endsJanuary 2, 2029

The Minnesota Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It began operating on November 1, 1983.

Contents

Jurisdiction

The Court of Appeals has jurisdiction over most appeals from the state trial courts, including the Minnesota District Courts, and from many decisions of state agencies and local governments. The only exceptions to this grant of jurisdiction are statewide election contests, first-degree murder cases, and appeals from the Minnesota Tax Court and Minnesota Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals, all of which go directly to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

The Minnesota Supreme Court has discretionary review. Only about five percent of Court of Appeals decisions are accepted by the Supreme Court for further review, meaning that the Court of Appeals makes the final ruling in the vast majority of the 2,000 to 2,400 appeals filed every year. [1]

Procedure

Under Minnesota law, the Court of Appeals must issue a decision within 90 days after oral arguments. If no oral argument is held, a decision is due within 90 days of the case's scheduled conference date. This deadline is the shortest imposed on any appellate court in the nation. [1] The court expedites decisions on child custody cases, mental health commitments and other matters in which the parties request accelerated response.

Composition

The 19 judges of the Minnesota Court of Appeals are elected to renewable six-year terms. [2] When a midterm vacancy occurs, the governor appoints a replacement to a term that ends after the general election occurring more than one year after the appointment. [3] All judges who have served on the court have been appointed by the governor. [4] The chief judge is selected by the governor from the members of the court to serve a fixed three-year term. [5]

Eight seats are associated with Minnesota's congressional districts. Judges for those seats must live in the associated district at the time of appointment or initial election. But seated judges remain eligible for those positions even if they later move to another district. Remaining seats are at-large positions that can be filled without regard to residency. The seats associated with congressional districts are redesignated every ten years following reapportionment of the districts. The most recent reapportionment occurred in 2022. The seats on the Court of Appeals were redesignated in January 2023. [6]

Members sit in three-judge panels in various locations throughout the state to hear oral arguments, all of which are open to the public. [1]

Members

SeatNameDistrictAppointed byJoinedDurationTerm end date
10 Jennifer Frisch (Chief) 4th Tim Walz (DFL)May 4, 20205 years, 2 monthsJanuary 2, 2029
6Renee Worke 1st Tim Pawlenty (R)June 9, 200520 years, 1 monthJanuary 6, 2031
15Kevin Ross 3rd Tim Pawlenty (R)February 23, 200619 years, 5 monthsJanuary 4, 2027
19Francis Connolly At-large Tim Pawlenty (R)January 1, 200817 years, 6 monthsJanuary 2, 2029
17 Matthew Johnson At-large Tim Pawlenty (R)January 1, 200817 years, 6 monthsJanuary 2, 2029
11 Michelle Ann Larkin At-large Tim Pawlenty (R)July 14, 200817 yearsJanuary 2, 2029
5Louise Dovre BjorkmanAt-large Tim Pawlenty (R)September 8, 200816 years, 10 monthsJanuary 2, 2029
16Peter ReyesAt-large Mark Dayton (DFL)April 7, 201411 years, 3 monthsJanuary 2, 2029
4Tracy SmithAt-large Mark Dayton (DFL)February 3, 20169 years, 5 monthsJanuary 6, 2031
12Diane BratvoldAt-large Mark Dayton (DFL)March 24, 20169 years, 4 monthsJanuary 6, 2031
13 Jeanne Cochran 6th Mark Dayton (DFL)November 7, 20186 years, 8 monthsJanuary 4, 2027
9Randall Slieter 7th Mark Dayton (DFL)December 3, 20186 years, 7 monthsJanuary 4, 2027
3 Sarah Wheelock 2nd Tim Walz (DFL)December 1, 20213 years, 7 monthsJanuary 6, 2031
14Elise L. Larson 8th Tim Walz (DFL)July 1, 20223 yearsJanuary 6, 2031
2Jon SchmidtAt-large Tim Walz (DFL)September 5, 20231 year, 10 monthsJanuary 6, 2031
8Keala C. EdeAt-large Tim Walz (DFL)September 11, 20231 year, 10 monthsJanuary 6, 2031
18JaPaul HarrisAt-large Tim Walz (DFL)March 18, 20241 year, 4 monthsJanuary 2, 2026
1Elizabeth BentleyAt-large Tim Walz (DFL)August 1, 202411 monthsJanuary 4, 2027
7Rachel Bond 5th Tim Walz (DFL)January 3, 20256 monthsJanuary 4, 2027

Sources: [6] [7] [8]

Chief judges

Former judges

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Court of Appeals" (PDF). Minnesota Judicial Branch. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  2. "Minn. Const. art. VI, sec. 7". Minnesota Constitution . Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  3. "Minn. Const. art. VI, sec. 8". Minnesota Constitution . Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  4. "Judges of the Minnesota Court of Appeals". Chronological Listing of Judges and Justices of the Minnesota Appellate Courts. Minnesota State Law Library. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  5. "Minnesota Statutes 2013, section 480A.03, subdivision 1". Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Administrative Order Filed In re Designations of Court of Appeals Judges for Congressional Districts Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Section 480A.02, Subdivision 5" (PDF). Minnesota Judicial Branch. January 4, 2013. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  7. "State Judiciary" (PDF). 2017–2018 Minnesota Legislative Manual (Blue Book). Minnesota Secretary of State. pp. 371–375. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  8. "Court of Appeals Judges". Minnesota Judicial Branch. Retrieved September 8, 2020.