Minnesota Supreme Court
From Judgepedia
The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the state of Minnesota. It consists of seven justices who are elected to the court in non-partisan elections for six-year terms. Two of the seven seats on the court are in electoral contests in 2008.
The court was first assembled as a three-judge panel in 1849 when Minnesota was still a territory. The first members were lawyers from outside of the region who were appointed by President Zachary Taylor. The state court system was rearranged in 1858 when Minnesota became a state, and justices are now elected in non-partisan elections to six-year terms unless a mid-term vacancy occurs, in which case the Governor appoints a replacement to finish the term.
In 1992, former Minnesota Vikings player and Pro Football Hall of Famer Alan Page was elected to an open seat on the court, he was sworn in January 1993.
Most appeals in the state district court system used to go directly to the Supreme Court, but the Minnesota Court of Appeals was created in 1983 to handle most of those cases. The court now considers about 900 appeals per year, although the number was about twice that high before the Court of Appeals was created. Only about 5 percent of those 900 appeals actually are accepted and heard before the court. Certain types of appeals can go directly to the Supreme Court, such as those involving taxes, first degree murder, and workers' compensation. The court hears cases in the Supreme Court's chamber of the Minnesota State Capitol or in the nearby Minnesota Judicial Center.
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Recent Changes to the Court's Composition
Former chief justice Russell Anderson retired on June 1, 2008; Minnesota's governor Tim Pawlenty appointed Eric Magnuson as his successor. [1]
Current composition
The current members of the Court (as of August 2008) and year they took office are:
- Chief Justice Eric Magnuson, 2008.
- Justice Alan Page, 1993.
- Justice Paul Anderson, 1994. Anderson is running for re-election in 2008 against two challengers, Alan Nelson and Tim Tingelstad. See Minnesota Supreme Court elections.
- Justice Helen Meyer, 2002.
- Justice G. Barry Anderson, 2004.
- Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea, appointed by Gov. Pawlenty in 2006. Gildea is running for re-election in 2008 against three challengers, Jill Clark, Deborah Hedlund and F. Richard Gallo. See Minnesota Supreme Court elections.
- Justice Christopher Dietzen, 2008.
Removal from office
Minnesota judges may be removed one of two ways:
- After a public hearing and on the recommendation of the Board on Judicial Standards, the supreme court may censure, retire, or remove a judge.[1]
- Judges may be impeached by a majority vote of the house of representatives and convicted by a two-thirds vote of the senate.
Judges are subject to recall election.[1]
See Also
External links
References
Portions of this article have been taken from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Copyright Notice can be found here.
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