# Minnesota Court of Appeals *Intermediate appellate court of the U.S. state of Minnesota, operating since 1983* The Minnesota Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court of [[Minnesota]]. It hears appeals from the state trial courts, and its decisions are subject to discretionary review by the [[Minnesota Supreme Court]].[^1][^5] The Minnesota Judicial Branch's institutional history dates the court's creation to 1983,[^2] and the court opened on November 1 of that year.[^1] The Judicial Branch maintains the court's official website[^3] and publishes the rules of appellate procedure.[^4] Most appeals from trial courts come to the court, as do many appeals from state agencies and local governments. A few categories of case go straight to the Supreme Court.[^5] The Supreme Court accepts only about five percent of the court's decisions for further review. As a result, the Court of Appeals issues the final ruling in most of the 2,000 to 2,400 appeals filed each year.[^5] The court's 19 judges are elected to six-year terms. Every judge who has served on it has nonetheless held an appointment from the governor.[^6] ## Jurisdiction The court's appellate jurisdiction covers most appeals from the state's trial courts, including the Minnesota District Courts. It also covers many decisions of state agencies and local governments.[^5] Four categories bypass the court and go directly to the [[Minnesota Supreme Court]]: - statewide election contests; - first-degree murder cases; - appeals from the Minnesota Tax Court; - appeals from the Minnesota Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals.[^5] Supreme Court review is discretionary. The Supreme Court takes up roughly one Court of Appeals decision in twenty, so the intermediate court has the last word in the large majority of cases.[^5] The project's claim record cites *In re Excelsior Energy*, 782 N.W.2d 282 (Minn. App. 2010), as a statement of the court's standards for reviewing administrative decisions.[^7] ## Procedure Minnesota law gives the court 90 days from oral argument to decide a case. When no argument is held, the 90 days run from the case's scheduled conference date.[^8] Wikipedia's article on the court describes this as the shortest deadline imposed on any appellate court in the country.[^8] Some cases are handled on an expedited basis: child custody disputes, mental health commitments, and other matters in which the parties ask for an accelerated response.[^8] ## Composition The court has 19 judges, each elected to a six-year term that may be renewed.[^6] When a seat falls vacant midterm, the [[governor]] names a replacement. That replacement's term runs until after the first general election held more than one year after the appointment.[^6] Wikipedia's account records that every judge in the court's history has been appointed by the governor. The governor also picks the chief judge from among the sitting judges, for a fixed three-year term.[^6] Eight seats are tied to Minnesota's congressional districts. A judge filling one of those seats must live in the district when appointed or first elected, but may keep the seat after moving to another district. The other seats are at-large and carry no residency requirement.[^6] The district-linked seats are reassigned every ten years after congressional reapportionment. After the 2022 reapportionment, the court's seats were redesignated in January 2023.[^6] Judges hear oral arguments in panels of three at locations across the state, and all arguments are open to the public.[^6] ## Members ### Chief judges - [[Peter Popovich]] (1983–1987) - [[D.D. Wozniak]] (1987–1992) - [[Paul Anderson (judge)]] (1992–1994) - [[Anne Simonett]] (1994–1995) - [[Edward Toussaint]] (1995–2010) - Matthew Johnson (2010–2013) - Edward Cleary (2013–2020) - Susan Segal (2020–2024) - Jennifer Frisch (2024–present)[^9] The Judicial Branch's judicial directory carries an entry for Matthew E. Johnson. The project's claim record describes that entry as identifying him as chief judge of the court.[^10] Wikipedia's list dates his tenure as chief judge to 2010–2013.[^9] The court's first judges, seated in 1983, are documented in a 40th-anniversary research guide published on the Judicial Branch's research-guide site.[^11] The original judges are also the subject of an oral history project.[^12] A separate guide collects research resources on the court.[^13] ### Former judges Former judges of the court include: - [[Barry Anderson]] - Paul Anderson - Jeffrey Bryan - [[Margaret Chutich]] - [[Theodora Gaïtas]] - [[Sam Hanson]] - [[Natalie Hudson]] - [[David Minge]] - [[Fred Norton]] - Randolph W. Peterson - Peter Popovich - Robert A. Randall - [[John Rodenberg]] - [[Larry Stauber]] - [[Terri Stoneburner]] - Edward Toussaint - [[Wilhelmina Wright]][^9] ## In the Minnesota record ### When - 1983: the court was created and began operating on November 1.[^2][^1] - 2004: the court decided *State of Minnesota v. Ronald E. Eibensteiner*.[^14] - 2010: the court decided *In re Excelsior Energy*, 782 N.W.2d 282.[^7] - January 2023: the district-linked seats were redesignated after the 2022 reapportionment.[^6] ### Who - The chief judge is selected by the governor. Nine chief judges have served, from Peter Popovich (1983–1987) to Jennifer Frisch (2024–present).[^6][^9] ### How - Judges are elected to renewable six-year terms. - Midterm vacancies are filled by appointment by the governor.[^6] ### How many - The court has 19 judges, of whom eight hold seats tied to congressional districts.[^6] - Between 2,000 and 2,400 appeals are filed each year. - About five percent of the court's decisions are accepted for Supreme Court review.[^5] ### Where - Three-judge panels hear oral arguments at locations throughout Minnesota.[^6] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Minnesota Court of Appeals*, lead section (revision 1353530685, retrieved 2026-10-26) — the court is Minnesota's intermediate appellate court and began operating on November 1, 1983. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Court_of_Appeals [^2]: Minnesota Judicial Branch research guide, *Minnesota Court of Appeals – Institutional History (created 1983)* — establishes the court's creation in 1983. https://mncourts.libguides.com/COA40th/history [^3]: Minnesota Judicial Branch, *Minnesota Court of Appeals – Official Website* — the court's official site. https://mncourts.gov/CourtOfAppeals/About.aspx [^4]: Minnesota Judicial Branch, *Rules of Appellate Procedure* — the published appellate rules. https://mncourts.gov/rules/ [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *Minnesota Court of Appeals*, "Jurisdiction" (revision 1353530685, retrieved 2026-10-26) — scope of jurisdiction, the exceptions, discretionary review, the five percent figure and the 2,000–2,400 annual appeals. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Court_of_Appeals [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *Minnesota Court of Appeals*, "Composition" (revision 1353530685, retrieved 2026-10-26) — 19 judges, six-year terms, gubernatorial appointment and selection of the chief judge, district-linked seats, the January 2023 redesignation, and three-judge panels. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Court_of_Appeals [^7]: CourtListener, *In re Excelsior Energy*, 782 N.W.2d 282 (Minn. App. 2010) — the court's administrative-review standards. https://www.courtlistener.com/ [^8]: Wikipedia contributors, *Minnesota Court of Appeals*, "Procedure" (revision 1353530685, retrieved 2026-10-26) — the 90-day decision deadline and expedited case types. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Court_of_Appeals [^9]: Wikipedia contributors, *Minnesota Court of Appeals*, "Members" (revision 1353530685, retrieved 2026-10-26) — chief judges with terms, and former judges. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Court_of_Appeals [^10]: Minnesota Judicial Branch, *Matthew E. Johnson*, judicial directory entry — directory listing for Matthew Johnson, Court of Appeals. https://mncourts.gov/about-the-courts/judicialdirectory/active-judicial-officers/court-of-appeals-judges/matthew-e.-johnson [^11]: Minnesota Judicial Branch research guide, *Minnesota Court of Appeals – First Judges 1983* — the court's original judges. https://mncourts.libguides.com/COA40th/firstjudges [^12]: Minnesota Judicial Branch research guide, *Minnesota Court of Appeals Oral History Project – Original Judges* — oral histories of the original judges. https://mncourts.libguides.com/oralhistory/coa [^13]: Minnesota Judicial Branch research guide, *Minnesota Court of Appeals Research Resources* — research resources on the court. https://mncourts.libguides.com/johnson/resources [^14]: Minnesota Court of Appeals, *State of Minnesota v. Ronald E. Eibensteiner* (2004) — the court's 2004 decision. https://law.justia.com/cases/minnesota/court-of-appeals/2004/opa040792-1228.html