Alan Pendleton
Alan F. Pendleton was a Tenth Judicial District judge for Anoka County, Minnesota. He was appointed to this position on September 14, 1999, and was elected to full terms in 2002, 2008 and 2014.[1] Pendleton was removed from the bench in October 2015 for living outside of his district and lying about it on his affidavit of candidacy in 2014.[2]
Education
Pendleton received his B.S. from Bemidji State University (where he was a National All-American swimmer) in 1977 and his J.D. from the Drake University Law School in 1980. He has taught as an adjunct professor at various universities and colleges throughout his legal career.[1]
Career
- 1999-2015: Judge, Tenth Judicial District
- 1988-1999: Assistant Anoka County attorney
- 1987: Attorney, Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben
- 1986: Attorney, Robins, Zelle, Larson & Kaplan
- 1984-1986: Assistant Anoka County attorney
- 1982-1984: Assistant Winona County attorney
- 1980-1982: Metropolitan Legal Clinic, Minneapolis[1]
Elections
2014
See also: Minnesota judicial elections, 2014
Pendleton ran for re-election to the Tenth Judicial District.
Primary: He ran unopposed in the primary on August 12, 2014.
General: He was unopposed in the general election on November 4, 2014.
[3]
Noteworthy events
Judge removed from bench (2015)
In October 2015, the Minnesota Supreme Court ordered that Judge Alan Pendleton be removed from the bench for living outside of his district and lying about it on his affidavit of candidacy in 2014.[2]
Though Pendleton had sold his Anoka townhouse for financial reasons in November 2013, he listed the address as his official residency on his affidavit of candidacy in May 2014. He and his wife were married in 2007, but lived separately until he sold his home in 2013. The Minnesota Board on Judicial Standards recommended an eight-month suspension. Arguments were heard by the state supreme court in September.[2]
Only Justice David Stras dissented with the majority's decision to remove the judge. The 39-page ruling said that Pendleton should have known better because a judge was disciplined for living outside of her district in 2013. Judge Patricia K. Karasov was suspended for six months for living outside of her district for three months and for not cooperating with the Board on Judicial Standard's investigation. In Pendleton's ruling the court said, "Just two years after we gave this clear warning and despite being fully aware of our decision in Karasov, Judge Pendleton deliberately chose to reside outside of his judicial district for even longer than Karasov did."[2] They also stated that his offense was more serious because he lived outside the district "for personal convenience" and then lied about it on his affidavit.[2]
See also
- News: Tenth Judicial District judge receives Outstanding Judge Award, September 29, 2012
- Minnesota judicial elections, 2014
- Minnesota judicial elections
- Tenth Judicial District
External links
- Minnesota Secretary of State, "2014 State General Election Candidate Filings," accessed June 7, 2014
- Minnesota Judicial Branch, "Tenth District Judges"
Footnotes
Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Minnesota • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Minnesota
State courts:
Minnesota Supreme Court • Minnesota Court of Appeals • Minnesota District Courts • Minnesota Problem-Solving Courts • Minnesota Tax Court • Minnesota Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals
State resources:
Courts in Minnesota • Minnesota judicial elections • Judicial selection in Minnesota
