Minnesota Supreme Court

From Free net encyclopedia

The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota and consists of seven members. 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 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 hears about 900 cases per year, although the number was about twice that high before the Court of Appeals was created. Certain types of appeals can go directly to the Supreme Court, such as those involving taxes 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.

In 2004, the justices were Chief Justice Kathleen A. Blatz, Alan Page, Paul H. Anderson, Russell A. Anderson, Helen M. Meyer, Sam Hanson, and G. Barry Anderson.

On September 29, 2005, Chief Justice Blatz announced she would retire on January 10, 2006. In December of 2005, Governor Tim Pawlenty selected associate justice (since 1998) Russell A. Anderson as the next chief justice and Lorie S. Gildea as an associate justice taking Anderson place.

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