Minnesota Supreme Court Archives

‘Women’s Sports Are Legal’: Female Athletes Challenge Trans Activists at Minnesota Supreme Court

October 17, 2024October 17, 2024 Daily Caller News Foundation

In the absence of NCAA rules limiting eligibility for women’s college volleyball to females, several teams forfeited games against San Jose State University this season without explicitly citing a player on SJSU’s team who allegedly is a transgender athlete.

The University of Nevada overruled its team this week when players voted to forfeit its Oct. 26 match against SJSU, claiming a forfeit would violate state and federal law and NCAA and Mountain West Conference rules, but promised not to punish individuals for sitting out.

Minnesota Supreme Court Won’t Let Group of Moms Defend Parental Notification Law for Abortions

June 8, 2024June 7, 2024 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Minnesota Supreme Court has declined to hear a case brought by a group called Mothers Offering Maternal Support (MOMS), which sought to intervene in the ruling of the Ramsey County District Court in the 2022 case Dr. Jane Doe, et al. v. State of Minnesota. In that case, the court struck down Minnesota’s remaining abortion restrictions, including a requirement that practitioners give parents notice before performing an abortion on a minor.

In the aftermath of the ruling, most of Minnesota’s former abortion restrictions were officially removed from the statutes during the state’s 2023 legislative session. However, one precondition that remained on the books was the parental notification requirement. This requirement became MOMS’ primary object of focus in its attempts to secure an intervention in the case.

Minnesota Supreme Court to Hear Challenge of New Felon Voting Law

January 24, 2024January 23, 2024 The Center Square

The Minnesota Supreme Court will hear a challenge to a new law that automatically restores voting rights to people convicted of a felony who are still on parole, probation, or supervised release in the state.

On March 3, 2023, Gov. Tim Walz (D) signed House File 28 into law. Previously in Minnesota, the state restored voting rights to people convicted of a felony after they completed all aspects of their sentence, including parole or probation. The new law restored voting rights to these individuals upon completion of incarceration, regardless of other conditions of their sentence.

DFL Will Soon Have Monopoly of Appointees on Minnesota Supreme Court

January 17, 2024January 16, 2024 Minnesota Sun Staff

Justice G. Barry Anderson, the lone remaining Republican appointee on the Minnesota Supreme Court, announced his retirement last week after serving nearly 20 years as one of the state’s top judges.

Anderson notified Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday of his decision to step down from the court on May 10. Anderson turns 70 in October, the age of mandatory retirement that’s required by Minnesota statute.

Commentary: Two Judicial Strikes Against Efforts to Keep Trump Off Ballot

November 17, 2023 Minnesota Sun Staff

Two state courts, the Minnesota Supreme Court and the Michigan Court of Claims, have thrown out the attempts by anti-democratic groups to disqualify former President Donald Trump from the ballot under the 14th Amendment, at least with respect to the presidential primary election.

The attempt to take away the ability of voters to make their own decisions on Trump’s candidacy has been temporarily halted in those states.

Minnesota Supreme Court Dismisses Lawsuit Seeking to Remove Trump from 2024 Primary Ballot

November 9, 2023November 9, 2023 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Minnesota Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to remove former President Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential primary ballot in the state.

The court found that state law permits parties to do as they wish in the primary election, writing that “winning the presidential nomination primary does not place the person on the general election ballot as a candidate for President of the United States.” However, the court did not address the question at the center of the case: whether Trump is eligible for office under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which disqualifies public officials who took an oath to the Constitution and then “engaged in insurrection” from holding office.

State Election Officials Say They Will Defer to the Courts on Removing Trump from 2024 Ballot

September 25, 2023 Admin

Top election officials in multiple states have said they would defer to the courts on the question of removing former President Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot.

Newest Minnesota Supreme Court Appointee Was Walz’s Chief Legal Counsel During Pandemic, Riots

August 26, 2023August 25, 2023 Minnesota Sun Staff

Gov. Tim Walz announced the appointment of one of his administration’s top attorneys to the Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Karl Procaccini, 40, has spent the last 4.5 years as general counsel and deputy chief of staff in the governor’s office. Depending on who you ask, the Connecticut native and Harvard Law grad has been regarded as either a prudent or overreaching legal advisor to Walz during the Covid-19 pandemic and riots in 2020 and 2021.

Chauvin Will Appeal Case to U.S. Supreme Court

July 23, 2023July 22, 2023 Minnesota Sun Staff

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review his case after the Minnesota Supreme Court declined to do so Tuesday, his attorney told Alpha News.

Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter in April 2021 in connection to the death of George Floyd. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison.

Minnesota Supreme Court Says Lower Court Erred in Rejecting Emergency Powers Lawsuit

February 10, 2023February 9, 2023 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Minnesota Supreme Court ordered the lower courts Wednesday to address the question of whether Gov. Tim Walz had the authority to declare a peacetime emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The high court called this question an “important issue of statewide significance that should be decided immediately.”

Two More Minnesota Counties Issue Incorrect Ballots

October 15, 2022October 14, 2022 Minnesota Sun Staff

Two additional counties are seeking the advice of the Minnesota Supreme Court after sending voters erroneous ballots.

Ballots sent out in Kittson and Roseau counties failed to include party affiliation for all federal and state offices, except governor. Additionally, incumbency status for judicial elections was missing.

Supreme Court Rules Minneapolis Failed to Properly Staff Police Department

June 22, 2022June 21, 2022 Admin

The Minnesota Supreme Court has sided with the plaintiffs in a lawsuit claiming the city of Minneapolis violated the law by understaffing its police department.

In an order issued Monday, the state high court concurred with the Hennepin County District Court’s ruling from last year that the Mayor has an obligation to employ a police force of 731 sworn officers — a ratio spelled out in the City Charter.

Minnesota Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Minneapolis Police Staffing Lawsuit

June 12, 2022June 11, 2022 Admin

The Minnesota Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday in a lawsuit that claims the Minneapolis City Council and Mayor Jacob Frey violated the law by understaffing the city’s police department.

The lawsuit, filed by eight north side residents in 2020, outlines a city charter requirement which states in part that the council “must fund a police force of at least 0.0017 employees per resident, and provide for those employees’ compensation.”

Minnesota Supreme Court to Take Up Minneapolis Police Staffing Case

April 22, 2022April 21, 2022 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Minnesota Supreme Court has granted a case review for eight Minneapolis residents appealing a lower court’s decision that argues the mayor of Minneapolis does not have a duty to employ police officers.

According to a news release from the Upper Midwest Law Center (UMLC), the legal group representing the eight residents, the Minnesota Supreme Court also granted a motion to expedite the appeal, and will therefore hear their case on Thursday, June 9.

Minnesota Supreme Court Rules State Law Doesn’t Require Party Balance on Absentee Ballot Boards

March 21, 2022March 20, 2022 Admin

The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled that cities and counties can conduct statewide elections without a strict party balance on absentee ballot boards.

Upholding a previous decision by the state’s court of appeals, Justice Barry Anderson published a 25-page ruling Wednesday dismissing the Minnesota Voters Alliance’s lawsuit against Ramsey and Olmsted counties and the city of Duluth, with the Republican Party of Minnesota listed as a co-plaintiff.

Redistricting Panel Sets New Political Boundaries for Minnesota

February 17, 2022February 16, 2022 Admin

A judicial panel has finalized the boundaries that will shape Minnesota politics for the next 10 years.

The five judges appointed to a special panel by the Minnesota Supreme Court released the state’s new legislative and congressional maps Tuesday. The process, known as redistricting, happens every 10 years after the census and puts every legislative seat in the state up for grabs.

Minnesota Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in Election Integrity Case

January 6, 2022January 5, 2022 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Minnesota Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in an important case that could change how cities and counties conduct future statewide elections.

The case, Minnesota Voters Alliance (MVA) v. Ramsey and Olmsted Counties, seeks to ensure that counties are following state law vis-à-vis absentee ballot boards and the appointment of election judges.

Minnesota Supreme Court Allows Policing Ballot Question

September 20, 2021September 19, 2021 The Center Square

The Minnesota Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s decision to strike down a ballot initiative asking whether voters want to replace the Minneapolis Police department with a department of public safety.

The ballot question, sparked by the May 2020 killing of George Floyd in police custody, weighs a more significant problem of how police balance public safety and enforcing crimes. After Floyd’s death, most of the City Council said they intended to dismantle the police department and replace it with a different model. The council pushed a plan to do so, but on Tuesday, Hennepin County Judge Jamie Anderson struck down the ballot language summary, saying it was “unreasonable and misleading.”

Minnesota Supreme Court Rules That Permit-to-Carry Law Is Constitutional

August 6, 2021August 5, 2021 Hayley Feland

The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that Minnesota’s permit-to-carry law for handguns is constitutional. A man, Nathan Hatch, convicted of a gross misdemeanor for carrying a loaded pistol without a permit in 2018 attempted to strike down the law, saying it was “unconstitutional.” According to The Star Tribune, Hatch claimed that the law requiring handgun owners to obtain a permit to carry the firearm in public violated his right to bear arms.

Minnesota Supreme Court Makes Controversial Rape Decision

March 27, 2021March 26, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

The Minnesota Supreme Court earlier this week made a controversial ruling on a case involving a convicted rapist, ordering a new trial on the grounds that the woman involved in the incident voluntarily intoxicated herself prior to the sexual encounter.

Francois Khalil was convicted of third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a victim who was impaired in 2019, stemming from an incident in 2017. The woman involved in the case said the two had been partying when she blacked out, and woke up to Khalil raping her. He was sentenced to five years in prison by a jury in Hennepin County.

Minnesota Supreme Court Easing Continuing Education Requirements for Attorneys

December 26, 2020December 25, 2020 The Center Square

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday granted a petition that will ease regulatory burdens on lawyers by doubling the amount of on-demand continuing legal education (CLE) credits that are accepted.

Every three years, attorneys in Minnesota need to finish 45 credit hours of CLE courses to maintain their licenses but previously capped on-demand credit hours at 15, although some lawyers argue they are more convenient, relevant, affordable and numerous than in-person CLEs.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Recall Effort Under Review by State Supreme Court

October 5, 2020October 4, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

A recall effort has been filed against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) over his mask mandate in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Minnesota Supreme Court will now review whether the grounds for recall stated in the petition are sufficient and meet statutory requirements. Two earlier efforts to recall Walz were dismissed by the supreme court because the petitions did not meet the legal standards to recall an elected official.

Keith Ellison Goes on Rant Against Voter ID Laws: ‘Clearly a Bad Thing’

January 27, 2020January 27, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said laws requiring voters to present a photo ID are “clearly a bad thing” in a Sunday Twitter rant. “If you believe that elections should be decided by We the People, then photo ID is clearly a bad thing. In Minnesota, we beat the…

Minnesota Supreme Court Upholds Minneapolis’ $15 Minimum Wage

January 26, 2020January 25, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

The Minnesota Supreme Court upheld Minneapolis’ $15 minimum wage ordinance in a Wednesday ruling, putting an end to a legal battle that began in 2017.

Suspected DWI Drivers in Minnesota No Longer Have Access to Legal Advice if Police Obtain a Search Warrant for a Blood Test

July 12, 2019July 11, 2019 Zachery Schmidt

Impaired drivers in Minnesota will not have the right to legal advice before taking a blood test if police acquire a search warrant the Minnesota Supreme Court decided in a 4-3 decision Wednesday. Back in 2017, a sheriff’s deputy arrested Jennifer Rosenbush for driving while impaired and obtained a…

Minnesota Supreme Court Justice to Step Down After Parkinson’s Diagnosis

June 14, 2019June 14, 2019 Zachery Schmidt

Minnesota Supreme Court Justice David Lillehaug will not seek re-election after announcing he’s been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. In a statement released Wednesday, Lillehaug said he plans to step down on July 21, 2020. “I have loved my six years of work on the Court and had planned to…