Minnesota Supreme Court Decisions
The Minnesota Supreme Court holds its sessions in a chamber in the Minnesota State Capitol or in the Minnesota Judicial Center. In addition to reviewing decisions in the Minnesota Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court may review decisions in the Minnesota Tax Court and the Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals. It also holds jurisdiction over appeals from the Lawyers’ Professional Responsibility Board and the Board of Judicial Standards. The Court will hear a direct appeal from a trial court only in cases involving first-degree murder or challenges to elections.
Under the Minnesota Constitution, the justices on the Minnesota Supreme Court must be “learned in the law.” No other specific requirements apply. Seven justices serve on the Court, and their terms last for six years. The process of selecting justices involves non-partisan elections. This means that the candidates are not labeled on the ballot according to their affiliation with any political party. If a vacancy arises on the Court, the Governor of Minnesota holds the authority to appoint a replacement justice to fill the seat. A non-partisan election also determines the position of the Chief Justice, who similarly holds that position for six years.
Justices on the Minnesota Supreme Court and other courts in the state must follow the four canons in the Minnesota Code of Judicial Conduct, as well as the sub-rules in each canon. If a justice engages in misconduct, they may face removal through an impeachment proceeding. This requires a majority vote by the Minnesota House of Representatives and a two-thirds vote by the Minnesota Senate. In other cases, the Supreme Court may remove or otherwise discipline a justice upon a recommendation by the Board on Judicial Standards. Justices also may be subject to recall elections.
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Recent Decisions From the Minnesota Supreme Court
Date: September 11, 2024
Docket Numbers: A22-0723, A22-0724
Justia Opinion Summary: A business dispute arose between M&M Creative Laminants, Inc. (M&M), a Pennsylvania company, and Cambria Company, LLC (Cambria), a Minnesota company. Cambria manufactures and sells quartz surface products, while M&M…
Date: August 28, 2024
Docket Number: A22-1436
Justia Opinion Summary: On August 10, 2021, Jeron Garding was arrested for first-degree narcotics charges after a drug-dog sniff of his parked car led to the discovery of approximately 410 grams of methamphetamine. Garding moved to suppress the…
Date: August 28, 2024
Docket Number: A22-1570
Justia Opinion Summary: In the late evening of January 24, 2022, Brandon Moore was driving a car with expired registration tabs when he was pursued by police. After a brief chase, Moore was arrested. During the search, officers found over six…
Date: August 28, 2024
Docket Number: A23-0133
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2015, the appellant sexually assaulted a 9-year-old girl, but the crime was not reported until 2021. In the interim, the appellant committed an unrelated second-degree assault in 2016, for which he was convicted in…
Date: August 21, 2024
Docket Number: A23-0061
Justia Opinion Summary: Renee Vasko challenged her property tax assessment on two grounds: the revocation of her homestead classification and the assessed value of her property. In 2018, McLeod County sent a homestead application to Vasko’s…
Date: August 14, 2024
Docket Number: A23-0080
Date: August 7, 2024
Docket Number: A23-0064
Justia Opinion Summary: A charter school was accused of manipulating attendance records to receive excess state aid. The Minnesota Department of Education (the Department) audited the school based on these allegations and found significant…
Date: August 7, 2024
Docket Number: A23-1561
Justia Opinion Summary: A Wisconsin-based corporation, Uline, Inc., sells industrial and packaging products and employs sales representatives who visit customers in Minnesota. Uline did not pay Minnesota income or franchise taxes for 2014 and…
Date: August 7, 2024
Docket Number: A23-1940
Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a challenge to the Re-Enfranchisement Act, which allows individuals convicted of felony-level offenses to vote once they are no longer incarcerated. The plaintiffs, individual taxpayers and the…
Date: July 31, 2024
Docket Number: A22-0164
Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the appellant, Deshawn Woolridge Carter, was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. At the time of the offense, he was under court-ordered conditions following a guilty plea to a felony theft…
Date: July 31, 2024
Docket Number: A22-0432
Justia Opinion Summary: The appellant, Earley Romero Blevins, was charged with two counts of second-degree assault-fear with a dangerous weapon after brandishing a machete at a woman and two men on a light rail platform in downtown Minneapolis.…
Date: July 31, 2024
Docket Numbers: A22-0710, A23-0588
Justia Opinion Summary: Melissa Zielinski was convicted of first-degree intentional murder and second-degree intentional murder under aiding-and-abetting theories. The case arose from the robbery and fatal shooting of Karl Henderson. Zielinski…
Date: July 31, 2024
Docket Number: A22-1104
Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Frank James Bigbear, who was charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old victim, I.M. The State of Minnesota presented multiple witnesses, including the…
Date: July 31, 2024
Docket Number: A22-1727
Justia Opinion Summary: Blair Benedict Oberton was found in direct criminal contempt of court for a profanity-laced outburst during a judicial proceeding, partially directed at the district court judge. The district court summarily imposed a…
Date: July 31, 2024
Docket Number: A23-0020
Justia Opinion Summary: In February 2019, Keegan Brouillette was found guilty by a jury of two counts of felony domestic assault. On June 24, 2019, the district court sentenced him to 15 months in prison but stayed the execution of the sentence…
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
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