District Court of Minnesota
| District Court of Minnesota | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Established | May 8, 1858 |
| Country | Minnesota, United States |
| Location |
Minnesota Judicial Center Saint Paul |
| Composition method | Nonpartisan election, appointment by the governor if filling midterm vacancy |
| Authorized by | Minnesota Constitution |
| Decisions are appealed to | Minnesota Court of Appeals |
| Judge term length | 6 years (mandatory retirement at the age of 70) |
| Website | |
The District Court of Minnesota is the state trial court of general jurisdiction in the U.S. state of Minnesota.
Jurisdiction of the court
The Minnesota Constitution provides that the district court has original jurisdiction in civil and criminal cases and such appellate jurisdiction as may be prescribed by law. Appeals from these courts usually go to the Minnesota Court of Appeals.[1]
Structure of the court
Each district has three or more judges, who are elected by the voters of the district in nonpartisan judicial elections to six-year terms. Candidates file for a specific judgeship by seat number. Vacancies are filled by appointment of the governor. Chief judge and assistant chief judge of each district are elected from judges of that district to exercise general administrative authority over the courts of the district. The salary is $145,233 for chief judges and $138,318 for judges. The chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court has the power to assign judges from one district to serve in another.
The district courts are divided into ten judicial districts, each covering one or more of Minnesota's 87 counties:
- First Judicial District – Carver, Dakota, Goodhue, Le Sueur, McLeod, Scott, Sibley
- Second Judicial District – Ramsey
- Third Judicial District – Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, Winona
- Fourth Judicial District – Hennepin
- Fifth Judicial District – Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock, Watonwan
- Sixth Judicial District – Carlton, Cook, Lake, St. Louis
- Seventh Judicial District – Becker, Benton, Clay, Douglas, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Otter Tail, Stearns, Todd, Wadena
- Eighth Judicial District – Big Stone, Chippewa, Grant, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Meeker, Pope, Renville, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wilkin, Yellow Medicine
- Ninth Judicial District – Aitkin, Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Itasca, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau
- Tenth Judicial District – Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine, Sherburne, Washington, Wright
Notable judges
The following is a list of judges who have presided over district courts:
- Kathleen A. Blatz, Fourth Judicial District Court, Hennepin County, (1994–1996). Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, (1996–2006).
- Wilbur Franklin Booth, Hennepin County district judge (1909–1914). Judge, U.S. District Court (1914–1925) and Court of Appeals (1925–1932).
- Kevin Burke, Fourth Judicial District Court, Hennepin County, (1984–present).
- Joan N. Ericksen, 4th Judicial District Court, Hennepin County, (1995–1998), Judge, U.S. District Court (2002–present).
- Lorie Skjerven Gildea, Fourth Judicial District Court, Hennepin County, (2005–2006). Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, (2010–present).
- Diana E. Murphy, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, (1994–2016).
- Ann D. Montgomery, Fourth Judicial District Court, Hennepin County, (1983–1985). Judge, U.S. District Court (1996–2016).
- Erica MacDonald, First Judicial District Court. United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota, (2018–present)
- Leland Bush, Fifth Judicial District Court.