Renee Worke

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Renee L. Worke
Minnesota Court of Appeals District 6
Tenure
2005 - Present
Term ends
2031
Years in position
20
Compensation
Base salary
$202,528
Elections and appointments
Last election
November 5, 2024
Appointed
2005
Education
Bachelor's
Minnesota State University, Mankato, 1980
Law
William Mitchell College of Law, 1983
Contact

Renee L. Worke is a judge for District 6 of the Minnesota Court of Appeals. She assumed office in 2005. Her current term ends on January 7, 2031.

Worke ran for re-election for the District 6 judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Worke received her B.A. from Minnesota State University at Mankato in 1980 and her J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law in 1983.[1]

Career

  • 2005 - Present: Judge, Minnesota Court of Appeals
  • 1996-2005: Judge, Waseca County District Court
  • 1994-1996: Administrative law judge, Office of Administrative Hearings, Child Support Division
  • 1984-1996: Attorney, Rietz, Rietz, Rietz & Worke
  • 1984-1996: Contract assistant public defender, Third Judicial District
  • 1983-1984: Law clerk, District Court Judge Urban J. Steimann[1]

Elections

2024

See also: Minnesota intermediate appellate court elections, 2024

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
Image of Renee L. Worke
Renee L. Worke (Nonpartisan)
 
99.0
 
1,818,635
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.0
 
19,052

Total votes: 1,837,687
Candidate Connection = 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.

Campaign finance

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Worke in this election.

2018

See also: Minnesota intermediate appellate court elections, 2018

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 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Renee L. Worke
Renee L. Worke (Nonpartisan)
 
99.2
 
1,557,084
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.8
 
12,174

Total votes: 1,569,258
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = 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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Selection method

See also: Nonpartisan election of judges

Judges of the Minnesota Court of Appeals are all chosen in nonpartisan elections to six-year terms. Candidates compete in primaries, from which the top two contestants advance to the general election.[2] 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.[2] Interim vacancies are filled via gubernatorial appointment. Appointed judges serve until the next general election occurring more than one year after their appointment.[2] They may then stand for election to a full term, and other candidates may file to run against them.[3]

Qualifications

Judges 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.[2][4]

Selection of the chief judge

The chief judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals is appointed by the governor to a three-year term.

2012

Worke ran unopposed for re-election to the Minnesota Court of Appeals, Place 6.[5] She won the election with 98.98% of the vote.[6]

See also: Minnesota judicial elections, 2012


Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Renee L. Worke did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary


Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.


Renee L. Worke campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* Minnesota Court of Appeals District 6Won general$0 $0
Grand total$0 $0
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

Noteworthy cases

Minnesota appellate court reverses dismissal in drug case (2015)

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 on the case, however, appealed Judge Fischer's ruling to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. That court reversed Judge Fischer.

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 said that the automobile exception existed. Further, law enforcement had probable cause to conduct the search. As a result, suppression of the drug evidence was inappropriate.

The Court of Appeals remanded the case back to the Kandiyohi County District Court for trial.

Articles:


See also


External links

Footnotes