Minnesota Supreme Court
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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. Justices have a mandatory retirement age of 70.
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.
Current composition
The current members of the Court (as of March 10, 2008) and year they took office are:
- Chief Justice Russell A. Anderson (2006 - resigning June 1, 2008)
- Chief Justice as of June 1, 2008: Eric Magnuson
- Justice Alan Page (1993)
- Justice Paul H. Anderson (1994)
- Justice Helen M. Meyer (2002)
- Justice G. Barry Anderson (2004)
- Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea (2006)
- Justice Christopher Dietzen (2008)
Former Justices
Among former chief justices or justices are the following:
- Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz (1996-2006, 1998-2006 as Chief Justice)
- Justice M Jeanne Coyne (1982-1986)
- Chief Justice John P. Devaney (1933-1937)
- Chief Justice LaFayette Emmett (1858-1865)
- Chief Justice Jerome Fuller (1851-1852)
- Chief Justice Aaron Goodrich (1849-1851)
- Justice Sam Hanson (2002-2008)
- Chief Justice Alexander M. Keith (1989-1998, 1990-1996 as Chief Justice)
- Justice Clarence R. Magney (1943-1953)
- Chief Justice Samuel James Renwick McMillan (1864-1875, 1874-1875 as Chief Justice)
- Justice John E. Simonett (1980-1994)
- Chief Justice Charles M. Start (1895-1913)
- Chief Justice Thomas Wilson (1864-1869)
- Justice Lawrence R. Yetka (1973-1993)
See also List of Chief Justices of Minnesota