Minnesota Court of Appeals

Judges of the Minnesota Court of Appeals

 

Minnesota Court of Appeals
Court information
Judges:	19
Founded:	1983
Salary:	Associates: $202,528
Judicial selection
Method:	Nonpartisan election of judges
Term:	6 years

The Minnesota Court of Appeals, created in 1983, is the intermediate appellate court in Minnesota and was designed to relieve the volume of cases that go to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Jurisdiction

It is the responsibility of the Court of Appeals to provide citizens with prompt and deliberate review of all final decisions of the trial courts, state agencies and local governments. Exceptions to this, which go directly to the Minnesota Supreme Court, are appeals from the Minnesota Tax Court, the Minnesota Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals, first-degree murder cases and statewide election contests.

Caseload

The Court of Appeals' decisions are the final ruling in about 95 percent of the 2,000 to 2,400 appeals filed every year. Typically, approximately 5 percent of the court's decisions are accepted by the Minnesota Supreme Court for further review.

Each judge participates in roughly 300 cases each year. The judges also share responsibility for hundreds of special term opinions and orders on motions and petitions filed with the court. The Court of Appeals issues a published, unpublished or order opinion on each case it considers.

By law, the court must issue a decision within 90 days after oral arguments. If no oral argument is held, a decision is due within 90 days of the case's scheduled conference date. This deadline is the shortest imposed on any appellate court in the nation. The court expedites decisions on child custody cases, mental health commitments and other matters in which the parties request accelerated response.

Judges

As part of the court's effort to expedite justice and to make access to the appellate system less burdensome and expensive, the court's 19 judges sit in three-judge panels and travel to locations throughout Minnesota to hear oral arguments, which are open to the public. They serve six-year terms.

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
Randall Slieter	2018 - Present	Mark Dayton
Francis J. Connolly	January 1, 2008 - Present	Tim Pawlenty
Jennifer Frisch	May 1, 2020 - Present	Tim Walz
JaPaul Harris	March 18, 2024 - Present	Tim Walz
Matthew Johnson	January 1, 2008 - Present	Tim Pawlenty
Peter M. Reyes Jr.	2014 - Present	Mark Dayton
Kevin G. Ross	February 23, 2006 - Present	Tim Pawlenty
Elise Larson	July 1, 2022 - Present	Tim Walz
Jeanne Cochran	2018 - Present	Mark Dayton
Diane Bratvold	2016 - Present	Mark Dayton
Michelle Ann Larkin	2008 - Present	Tim Pawlenty
Keala Ede	September 11, 2023 - Present	Tim Walz
Rachel Bond	January 3, 2025 - Present	Tim Walz
Renee L. Worke	2005 - Present	Tim Pawlenty
Louise Dovre Bjorkman	2008 - Present	Tim Pawlenty
Tracy M. Smith	2016 - Present	Mark Dayton
Sarah Wheelock	December 1, 2021 - Present	Tim Walz
Jon Schmidt	September 5, 2023 - Present	Tim Walz
Elizabeth Bentley	August 1, 2024 - Present	Tim Walz

Former judges

• Jeffrey M. Bryan
• Margaret Chutich
• Edward J. Cleary
• James B. Florey
• Theodora Gaïtas
• Natalie Hudson
• Lucinda Jesson
• Thomas Kalitowski
• Michael Kirk
• David Minge
• Randolph Peterson
• Denise D. Reilly
• John R. Rodenberg
• Susan Segal
• Terri Stoneburner

Judicial selection

See also: Judicial selection in Minnesota

Judges on the Minnesota Court of Appeals are chosen in nonpartisan general elections to six-year terms. Sitting judges must run for re-election if they wish to serve additional terms. While party affiliation is not designated on the ballot, incumbency is.

Qualifications

Judges of the appeals court are required to be "learned in the law" and under 70 years old. Sitting judges who reach the age of 70 while in office are allowed to serve until the last day of that month.

Chief judge

The chief judge of the appeals court is appointed by the governor. He or she serves in that capacity for a three-year term.

Vacancies

Interim vacancies on the appeals court are filled via gubernatorial appointment. After serving for at least one year, the appointed judge can run for a full term in the next general election. Other candidates may file to run against them in the election.

Salary

In 2024, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $202,528, according to the National Center for State Courts.

Elections

2024

See also: Minnesota intermediate appellate court elections, 2024

The terms of six Minnesota intermediate appellate court judges expired on January 7, 2025. The six seats were up for nonpartisan election on November 5, 2024. The primary was August 13, 2024. The filing deadline was June 4, 2024.

General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 2

Incumbent Jon Schmidt won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 2 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jon Schmidt (Nonpartisan)	98.9	1,843,055
		Other/Write-in votes	1.1	21,016

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,864,071
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Jon Schmidt advanced from the primary for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 2.

General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 3

Incumbent Sarah Wheelock won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 3 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sarah Wheelock (Nonpartisan)	98.9	1,838,592
		Other/Write-in votes	1.1	20,101

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,858,693
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Sarah Wheelock advanced from the primary for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 3.

General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 4

Incumbent Tracy M. Smith won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 4 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tracy M. Smith (Nonpartisan)	99.0	1,829,184
		Other/Write-in votes	1.0	19,094

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,848,278
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Tracy M. Smith advanced from the primary for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 4.

General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 6

Incumbent Renee L. Worke won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 6 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Renee L. Worke (Nonpartisan)	99.0	1,818,635
		Other/Write-in votes	1.0	19,052

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,837,687
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Renee L. Worke advanced from the primary for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 6.

General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 8

Incumbent Keala Ede won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 8 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Keala Ede (Nonpartisan)	98.9	1,810,181
		Other/Write-in votes	1.1	19,232

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,829,413
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Keala Ede advanced from the primary for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 8.

General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 12

Incumbent Diane Bratvold defeated Jonathan Woolsey in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 12 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Diane Bratvold (Nonpartisan)	63.5	1,437,341
	Submit photo	Jonathan Woolsey (Nonpartisan)	36.1	816,943
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	8,780

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,263,064
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Diane Bratvold and Jonathan Woolsey advanced from the primary for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 12.

General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 14

Incumbent Elise Larson won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 14 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Elise Larson (Nonpartisan)	99.0	1,807,763
		Other/Write-in votes	1.0	18,569

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,826,332
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Elise Larson advanced from the primary for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 14.

2022

See also: Minnesota intermediate appellate court elections, 2022

The terms of 10 Minnesota intermediate appellate court judges expired on January 2, 2023. The 10 seats were up for nonpartisan election on November 8, 2022.

General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 1

Incumbent Theodora Gaïtas won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 1 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Theodora Gaïtas (Nonpartisan)	99.1	1,348,803
		Other/Write-in votes	0.9	12,433

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,361,236
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Theodora Gaïtas advanced from the primary for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 1.

General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 5

Incumbent Louise Dovre Bjorkman won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 5 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Louise Dovre Bjorkman (Nonpartisan)	99.1	1,341,077
		Other/Write-in votes	0.9	12,223

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,353,300
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Louise Dovre Bjorkman advanced from the primary for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 5.

General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 7

Incumbent Susan Segal won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 7 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Susan Segal (Nonpartisan)	99.1	1,342,979
		Other/Write-in votes	0.9	11,839

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,354,818
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Susan Segal advanced from the primary for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 7.

General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 8

Incumbent Denise D. Reilly won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 8 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Denise D. Reilly (Nonpartisan)	99.2	1,334,773
		Other/Write-in votes	0.8	11,159

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,345,932
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Denise D. Reilly advanced from the primary for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 8.

General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 10

Incumbent Jennifer Frisch won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 10 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer Frisch (Nonpartisan)	99.2	1,335,066
		Other/Write-in votes	0.8	11,265

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,346,331
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Jennifer Frisch advanced from the primary for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 10.

General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 11

Incumbent Michelle Ann Larkin won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 11 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michelle Ann Larkin (Nonpartisan)	99.1	1,329,238
		Other/Write-in votes	0.9	11,610

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,340,848
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Michelle Ann Larkin advanced from the primary for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 11.

General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 16

Incumbent Peter M. Reyes Jr. won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 16 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Peter M. Reyes Jr. (Nonpartisan)	99.2	1,324,573
		Other/Write-in votes	0.8	11,322

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,335,895
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Peter M. Reyes Jr. advanced from the primary for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 16.

General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 17

Incumbent Matthew Johnson won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 17 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Matthew Johnson (Nonpartisan)	99.1	1,321,452
		Other/Write-in votes	0.9	11,616

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,333,068
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Matthew Johnson advanced from the primary for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 17.

General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 18

Incumbent Jeffrey M. Bryan won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 18 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Jeffrey M. Bryan (Nonpartisan)	99.2	1,324,357
		Other/Write-in votes	0.8	11,291

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,335,648
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Jeffrey M. Bryan advanced from the primary for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 18.

General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 19

Incumbent Francis J. Connolly won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 19 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Francis J. Connolly (Nonpartisan)	99.1	1,319,443
		Other/Write-in votes	0.9	11,521

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,330,964
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Francis J. Connolly advanced from the primary for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 19.

2020

See also: Minnesota intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

The terms of four Minnesota Court of Appeals justices expired on January 4, 2021. The four seats were up for nonpartisan election on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for August 11, 2020. A full term on the court is six years.

General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 3

Incumbent Carol A. Hooten won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 3 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carol A. Hooten (Nonpartisan)	99.1	1,915,200
		Other/Write-in votes	0.9	17,998

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,933,198
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 9

Incumbent Randall Slieter won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 9 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Randall Slieter (Nonpartisan)	99.1	1,881,598
		Other/Write-in votes	0.9	16,960

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,898,558
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 13

Incumbent Jeanne Cochran won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 13 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Jeanne Cochran (Nonpartisan)	99.2	1,884,416
		Other/Write-in votes	0.8	16,026

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,900,442
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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General election

General election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 15

Incumbent Kevin G. Ross won election in the general election for Minnesota Court of Appeals District 15 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kevin G. Ross (Nonpartisan)	99.2	1,869,533
		Other/Write-in votes	0.8	16,003

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,885,536
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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2018

See also: Minnesota intermediate appellate court elections, 2018

The terms of six Minnesota Court of Appeals judges expired on January 7, 2019. All stood for nonpartisan election by voters in 2018 in order to remain on the bench. A full term on the court is six years.

Candidates and results

Seat 2: Jesson's seat

General election candidates

• Lucinda E. Jesson  (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔
• Anthony L. Brown  (Nonpartisan)

Seat 4: Smith's seat

General election candidates

• Tracy M. Smith  (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

Seat 6: Worke's seat

General election candidates

• Renee L. Worke  (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

Seat 7: Halbrooks' seat

General election candidates

• Jill Flaskamp Halbrooks  (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

Seat 12: Bratvold's seat

General election candidates

• Diane Bratvold  (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

Seat 14" Florey's seat

General election candidates

• James B. Florey  (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

2016

Candidates

Seat 5

■ Louise Bjorkman (Incumbent/Unopposed)

Seat 8

■ Denise D. Reilly (Incumbent/Unopposed)

Seat 11

■ Michelle Ann Larkin (Incumbent/Unopposed)

Seat 13

■ Randolph Peterson (Incumbent/Unopposed)

Seat 14

■ Lawrence Stauber (Incumbent/Unopposed)

Seat 16

■ Peter M. Reyes, Jr. (Incumbent/Unopposed)

Seat 17

■ Matthew Johnson (Incumbent/Unopposed)

Seat 18

■Heidi Schellhas (Incumbent/Unopposed)

Seat 19

■ Francis Connolly (Incumbent/Unopposed)

Election results

November 8 general election

Incumbent Louise Bjorkman ran unopposed in the general election for Seat 5 on the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Minnesota Court of Appeals, Seat 5, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Louise Bjorkman Incumbent (unopposed)	98.91%	1,704,673
Write-in votes	1.09%	18,790
Total Votes (4073 of 4120 precincts reporting: 99%)		1,723,463
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

Incumbent Denise D. Reilly ran unopposed in the general election for Seat 8 on the Minnesota Court of appeals.

Minnesota Court of Appeals, Seat 8, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Denise D. Reilly Incumbent (unopposed)	99.01%	1,679,432
Write-in votes	0.99%	16,847
Total Votes (4073 of 4120 precincts reporting: 99%)		1,696,279
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

Incumbent Michelle Ann Larkin ran unopposed in the general election for Seat 11 on the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Minnesota Court of Appeals, Seat 11, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Michelle Ann Larkin Incumbent (unopposed)	99.05%	1,673,976
Write-in votes	0.95%	16,043
Total Votes (4073 of 4120 precincts reporting: 99%)		1,690,019
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

Incumbent Randolph Peterson ran unopposed in the general election for Seat 13 on the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Minnesota Court of Appeals, Seat 13, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Randolph Peterson Incumbent (unopposed)	99.03%	1,655,611
Write-in votes	0.97%	16,225
Total Votes (4073 of 4120 precincts reporting: 99%)		1,671,836
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

Incumbent Lawrence Stauber ran unopposed in the general election for Seat 14 on the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Minnesota Court of Appeals, Seat 14, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Lawrence Stauber Incumbent (unopposed)	99.03%	1,648,207
Write-in votes	0.97%	16,156
Total Votes (4073 of 4120 precincts reporting: 99%)		1,664,363
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

Incumbent Peter M. Reyes, Jr. ran unopposed in the general election for Seat 16 on the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Minnesota Court of Appeals, Seat 16, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Peter M. Reyes, Jr. Incumbent (unopposed)	99.07%	1,639,561
Write-in votes	0.93%	15,308
Total Votes (4073 of 4120 precincts reporting: 99%)		1,654,869
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

Incumbent Matthew Johnson ran unopposed in the general election for Seat 17 on the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Minnesota Court of Appeals, Seat 17, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Matthew Johnson Incumbent (unopposed)	99.08%	1,640,174
Write-in votes	0.92%	15,226
Total Votes (4073 of 4120 precincts reporting: 99%)		1,655,400
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

Incumbent Heidi Schellhas ran unopposed in the general election for Seat 18 on the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Minnesota Court of Appeals, Seat 18, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Heidi Schellhas Incumbent (unopposed)	99.09%	1,635,569
Write-in votes	0.91%	14,981
Total Votes (4073 of 4120 precincts reporting: 99%)		1,650,550
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

Incumbent Francis Connolly ran unopposed in the general election for Seat 19 on the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Minnesota Court of Appeals, Seat 19, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Francis Connolly Incumbent (unopposed)	99.09%	1,632,466
Write-in votes	0.91%	14,915
Total Votes (4073 of 4120 precincts reporting: 99%)		1,647,381
Source: Minnesota Secretary of State

2014

The following candidates were elected or re-elected after running unopposed in the general election.

Court	Candidate
Click the arrows in the column headings to sort columns alphabetically.
Court of Appeals	Carol A. Hooten
Court of Appeals	Edward J. Cleary
Court of Appeals	John P. Smith
Court of Appeals	John R. Rodenberg
Court of Appeals	Kevin Ross (Minnesota)
Court of Appeals	Margaret Chutich
Court of Appeals	Michael Kirk

2012

Candidate	Incumbency	Place	Primary Vote	Election Vote
Flaskamp HalbrooksJill Flaskamp Halbrooks   A	Yes			99.03%   A
WorkeRenee Worke   A	Yes	Seat 6		98.98%   A

2010

Out of the 10 seats up for election on the Minnesota Court of Appeals, only two were contested.

District	Candidates	Details	Results
Minnesota Court of Appeals	Randolph Peterson and Roxann Klugman	Randolph Peterson ran for re-election.	Randolph Peterson won with 56.6 percent of the vote.
Minnesota Court of Appeals	Lawrence Stauber and Dan Griffith	Lawrence Stauber ran for re-election.	Lawrence Stauber won with 51.7 percent of the vote.

These judges ran unopposed for re-election:

• Louise Bjorkman
• Francis Connolly
• Natalie Hudson
• Matthew Johnson
• Michelle Ann Larkin
• David Minge
• Heidi Schellhas
• Wilhelmina Wright

Ethics

The Minnesota Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Minnesota. It is composed of four canons:

• Canon 1: "A Judge Shall Uphold and Promote the Independence, Integrity, and Impartiality of the Judiciary, and Shall Avoid Impropriety and the Appearance of Impropriety"
• Canon 2: "A Judge Shall Perform the Duties of Judicial Office Impartially, Competently, and Diligently"
• Canon 3: "A Judge Shall Conduct the Judge's Personal and Extrajudicial Activities to Minimize the Risk of Conflict with the Obligations of Judicial Office"
• Canon 4: "A Judge or Candidate for Judicial Office Shall Not Engage in Political or Campaign Activity that is Inconsistent with the Independence, Integrity, or Impartiality of the Judiciary"

The full text of the Minnesota Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.

Removal of justices

Judges in Minnesota may be removed in one of three ways:

• By the supreme court, after a public hearing and on the recommendation of the board on judicial standards
• Impeached by a majority vote of the Minnesota House of Representatives and convicted by a two-thirds vote of the Senate
• By recall via a popular vote

Noteworthy cases

• Minnesota appellate court reverses dismissal in drug case (2015)

Click for summary→

Adam Alvarado was stopped by police on October 13, 2013. A search of his body by cops revealed three Fentanyl patches, which are used to treat chronic pain, and 29 grams of marijuana in a baggie in his pocket. The police then searched his car, finding 17.5 grams of methamphetamines. Alvarado was charged with fifth-degree drug possession. He filed a motion to suppress the evidence resulting from the searches conducted by the police. Judge Jennifer Fischer agreed with Alvarado and granted his motion. Fischer made her ruling after finding that the warrantless search by law enforcement was done illegally, as no exception to the requirement for a warrant was present. The state subsequently dismissed the case, as its key evidence for trial was suppressed. The prosecutor appealed Judge Fischer’s ruling to the Minnesota Court of Appeals, which reversed the decision. Judge Renee Worke wrote for the court. She said that Judge Fischer was incorrect when she found no exception to the warrant requirement in Alvarado's case. Worke concluded that the automobile exception applied and that law enforcement had probable cause to conduct the search; therefore, suppression of the drug evidence was unwarranted. The Court of Appeals remanded the case back to the Kandiyohi County District Court for trial. Articles: West Central Tribune, "Appeals court reverses decision to dismiss Willmar man’s drug charge," April 15, 2015

State profile

Demographic data for Minnesota
	Minnesota	U.S.
Total population:	5,482,435	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	79,627	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	84.8%	73.6%
Black/African American:	5.5%	12.6%
Asian:	4.4%	5.1%
Native American:	1%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.7%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	5%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	92.4%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	33.7%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$61,492	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	12.2%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Minnesota. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Minnesota

Minnesota voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, 19 are located in Minnesota, accounting for 9.22 percent of the total pivot counties.

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Minnesota had 15 Retained Pivot Counties and four Boomerang Pivot Counties, accounting for 8.29 and 16.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More Minnesota coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Minnesota
• United States congressional delegations from Minnesota
• Public policy in Minnesota
• Endorsers in Minnesota
• Minnesota fact checks
• More...

See also

Minnesota	Judicial Selection	More Courts
Courts in Minnesota Minnesota Court of Appeals Minnesota Supreme Court	Elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 Gubernatorial appointments Judicial selection in Minnesota	Federal courts State courts Local courts

External links

• Minnesota Judicial Branch, "Minnesota Court of Appeals"

Footnotes

Minnesota courts

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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