Three vacancies on the Minnesota Court of Appeals to be filled

September 6, 2011

St. Paul, Minnesota: Governor Mark Dayton is seeking applicants for three judicial vacancies on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. The Democratic governor, who has only been in office for eight months, is faced with the retirements of Judges Harriet Lansing, Edward Toussaint, Jr., Gordon Shumaker. The upcoming appointments mark the first time that Dayton will select judges for any of the state's top courts, though he has made appointments to the district courts, Tax Court and Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals is made up of 19 judges.

Lansing was the first of these judges to go, retiring from the court on May 31st after over 27 years of service. Toussaint's retirement followed on July 15th. He served as Chief Judge of the court from his initial appointment in 1995 until November 1st, 2010. Shumaker's retirement will occur on October 14th. He has served on the court since January of 1998.