Tim Tingelstad
From Judgepedia
|
|
Contents |
Tim Tingelstad is a family court judge in Minnesota and was a 2008 candidate for Seat Three on the Minnesota Supreme Court. On September 9th, 2008, he bested fellow supreme court challenger Alan Nelson for a chance to take on sitting Justice Paul Anderson in the November general election.
The race is a non-partisan contest for a six-year term on the court.
2008 General Election results
- In the November 4, 2008 general election Paul Anderson garnered 1,260,705 votes (61%), defeating Tim Tingelstad, who had 818,812 (39%).[1] For more information, see the article for Minnesota Supreme Court elections.
Legal Education and Experience
Tingelstad received his law degree from the William Mitchell College of Law and the University of North Dakota Law School. He has been a magistrate in family court for the state's 9th Judicial District since 1999. Prior to that, he was an administrative law judge, worked in private practice and was an assistant Beltrami County attorney.[2] For more information, see Tingelstad's resume.
Past judicial elections
In 2004, Tingelstad ran against associate Minnesota Supreme Court justice Alan Page, garnering 28% of the vote. Tingelstad's campaign tried to focus on Justice Page's abortion views as a matter of differentiation.[3]
Position on electing judges
One of the key positions Tingelstad is advocating in his race for the state's highest court is advocacy of continuing to elect judges in Minnesota.
According to Tingelstad, "The original intent of the Minnesota Constitution was for the people to elect our judges, and for the governor to appoint judges only when vacancies arise between elections."[4]
Not surprisingly, Tingelstad is opposed to the Commission-selection, political appointment method of judicial selection. Of this method, he says:"[It] would make the judicial branch accountable to the executive branch, which violates the principle of separation of powers."[5]
As part of an extensive interview with Minnesota Lawyer Tingelstad was asked the following question: "What role, if any, should politics play in judicial campaigns? (for example, party endorsements, discussions of political views, etc...)" His response again focused on the problems of so-called "merit selection".
"[It] would not remove politics from the judicial selection process, it would simply hide the politics from the people. The politics would be condensed into small, unelected and unaccountable committees. [It] would not eliminate special interest groups from impacting judicial selection, it would create two new powerful special interest groups — the selection committee and the retention committee. Giving control of our courts to 20 unelected, unaccountable people is foolish."[6]
Quotes
- "Contested judicial elections are the people’s only recourse against a growing judicial philosophy that strays from the original intent of our Constitutions. Constitutions are anchors, holding us in the safe harbors of truth and justice, not sails, taking our culture anywhere the winds of change may blow. If we fail to keep our Courts accountable to the people, the anchor will break, and the foundation upon which our prosperity is built will be destroyed."[7]
- "I am committed to preserving the people's constitutional right to choose their judges through meaningful, contested, non-partisan judicial elections. I believe that justice is served when judges fear God and love the people, and as a Minnesota Supreme Court Justice, I will be impartial to the parties, while partial to the original intent of the Constitution."[8]
Campaign ads
External links
- Press Release announcing Supreme Court run
- Tim Tingelstad for Supreme Court justice website
- Minnesotans to judge judge candidates
- Affidavit of candidacy
- Principal campaign committee registration statement
- Biblical candidate faces off Justice who voted for state-funded abortion
References
- ↑ Supreme Court results
- ↑ Ninth Judicial District Magistrate To Run For State Supreme Court Seat
- ↑ John Parsons article on Tingelstad-Page race
- ↑ Campaign 2008: Tingelstad running for state supreme court
- ↑ Tingelstad on judicial elections
- ↑ Minnesota Lawyer, Judicial Elections 2008
- ↑ Tim Tingelstad for Minnesota Supreme Court
- ↑ Tim Tingelstad for Minnesota Supreme Court
