# United States District Court for the District of Minnesota *Federal trial court for the State of Minnesota* The United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, abbreviated D. Minn. in case citations, is the federal trial court with jurisdiction over the state of [[Minnesota]].[^1] The court sits principally in [[Minneapolis]] and Saint Paul. It also holds proceedings at the federal courthouses in Duluth and Fergus Falls.[^1] Decisions of the court are appealed to the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit]]. Two categories go instead to the Federal Circuit: patent claims, and claims against the U.S. government brought under the Tucker Act.[^1] ## United States Attorney In civil and criminal matters before the court, the United States is represented by the [[United States Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota]].[^1] [[Cushman K. Davis]] once held the post of U.S. attorney for the District. He later served as [[governor]] of Minnesota and won election to the [[United States Senate]].[^1] The court's Wikipedia article lists Daniel Rosen as the U.S. attorney as of October 10, 2025.[^1] ## Chief judges The chief judge carries administrative duties for the district court. The position is not filled by a separate nomination, as the chief justiceship of the Supreme Court is. Instead, it passes among the court's district judges in rotation.[^1] To be eligible, a judge must have at least one year of active service on the court, be younger than 65, and have no prior term as chief judge.[^1] When the post falls vacant, the most senior judge among those eligible takes it. A chief judge serves for seven years or until turning 70, whichever comes sooner. The age limits do not apply if no judge on the court would otherwise qualify.[^1] The office was established in 1948. Under the arrangement then in place, the chief judge was the judge with the longest service who had neither declined the role nor elected to retire, a status known since 1958 as senior status. From August 6, 1959, a judge aged 70 or older could neither assume nor keep the chief judgeship. The rules now in force took effect on October 1, 1982.[^1] ## See also - [[United States Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota]] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *United States District Court for the District of Minnesota* (revision 1362222567, retrieved 2026-10-26) — the court's jurisdiction, courthouses, appellate routing, U.S. Attorney's Office, and chief judge rules. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_District_Court_for_the_District_of_Minnesota