Douglas K. Amdahl

Douglas K. Amdahl
Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
In office
1981–1989
Nominated by Al Quie
Preceded by Robert Sheran
Succeeded by Peter S. Popovich
Personal details
Born January 23, 1919
Mabel, Minnesota
Died August 24, 2010(2010-08-24) (aged 91)
Richfield, Minnesota
Nationality American
Alma mater University of Minnesota
William Mitchell College of Law

Douglas K. Amdahl (January 23, 1919 – August 24, 2010) was an American lawyer and judge from Minnesota. He served as Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court from December 1981 to January 1989.[1]

Early life and education

Amdahl was raised in the small town of Mabel in southeastern Minnesota. He was the son of Olean and Beaulah Amdahl. He father, who was a Norwegian immigrant, operated a shoe repair shop. Amdahl served in World War II in the United States Army Air Force[2] Signals Intelligence Service as a cryptologist within the European theater. After flying in and going ashore three days after the D-Day invasion of Normandy Beach[3], Douglas K. Amdahl coordinated efforts to decrypt German enigma communication and was briefly a tank commander at the Battle of the Bulge despite previously being prohibited from combat due to his poor eye sight.[4][3]

Career

He served as a judge in Hennepin County from 1961 to 1980.[5]

While chief justice, Amdahl was a leader in establishing the Minnesota Court of Appeals, which was created in 1983. Prior to that, if a person believed a district judge erred in a ruling, the only avenue for appeal was the state supreme court, which could take up to three years to issue a ruling. The creation of the appeals court enabled a quicker resolution to cases and provided additional oversight in the judicial process.[6]

Amdahl sponsored the construction of the Hennepin County government center located in downtown Minneapolis. As a Hennepin County chief judge, he cut the ribbon, recommended the design of the judicial chambers, and tirelessly campaigned for funding. He also pushed for a new building on the Minnesota Capitol mall to be dedicated to the judicial branch. Once the appeals court was established, it needed a place to work and hear cases. At the time, the supreme court worked in the east wing of the state capitol, but there was no room for additional offices or chambers for the appeals court.

Amdahl also taught at William Mitchell College of Law where he graduated summa cum laude as class valedictorian and served on its board of trustees.[7][8]

Hennepin County Government Center

Amdahl sponsored the construction of the Hennepin County government center located in downtown Minneapolis. As a Hennepin County chief judge, he cut the ribbon, recommended the design of the judicial chambers, and tirelessly campaigned for funding. He would later recall "In our designs, I had designated the thirteenth floor of the courthouse for the chief judge's office, the media office, and as the site for another three or four offices that would be tied in with administration and with the public. I moved over there on Friday the 13th of December, 1973, on the thirteenth floor. There wasn't any bad luck connected with that at all. I was the first judge to move into the new building."

Minnesota Judicial Center

Amdahl worked tirelessly to fund the construction of the Minnesota Judicial Center - spearheading designs with his friend United States Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger[9] - who also graduated from the Saint Paul College of law[10][11] (later known as William Mitchell College of Law). The Judicial Center was modeled after the United States Supreme Court building. In doing so, however, the building incorporates the Minnesota Court of Appeals, Minnesota Supreme Court, law library, and court administration into one building.[12] The Minnesota Judicial Center was completed in 1992. Amdahl sent a letter to then United States Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist "asking him to be here in April of this year for the dedication of the building. He agreed to come. [Amdahl] later ran into him in Williamsburg Pennsylvania one day. "Amdahl," he said, "you have given me more trouble than anybody else. Never have I promised to do anything so far in advance, and I'm always running into problems with that date." "Well, [Amdahl] said, "I probably should have told you a month ago, but I didn't know how to do it. We're not going to be ready then, so we're going to have to move the date."[12]

Trial Judge, Family Courts and Helping Others

Amdahl created Minnesota's first family court in Hennepin County. As equity and fairness, Amdahl treated both men and women similarly in divorces. Initially, offering restraining orders to divide homes in half, so the husband was not forced to pay for a second home. As a District Court Judge, Amdahl was known for his fierce control of the courtroom during trials. In later years, however, Amdahl was known for his considerable patience and respect for all litigants and attorneys when he was appointed to the Supreme Court. Famed Minnesota lawyer Joseph Friedberg (who graduated second in his law school class) had given up the practice of law following a contentious case. On a whim, Friedberg, moved to Minnesota from North Carolina to become a book salesman. After knocking on an unfamiliar door, Friedberg was faced with imposing questions from Douglas K. Amdahl about the legality of tax provisions inherent in the sale. Not missing a beat, Friedberg surprised Amdahl with his knowledge and the next day Amdahl called Fridberg to help save his career by convincing him to represent an indigent husband in a divorce. During the same case, on delivery of a gift to the families children from the husband, Friedberg had a rotten Pumpkin thrown at him by the wife. Amdahl and Friedberg would later laugh about it this and call it "better than being a door to door book salesman". Later, Friedberg would go onto become one of the most famous trial lawyers in the state.

Personal life and Death

During his tenure as Chief Justice, Amdahl maintained a cottage along the Saint Croix River near Hudson in Saint Croix County, Wisconsin.[13] Amdahl survived two (2) plane crashes. The first during war-time experience, the second during a fishing expedition in Canada during his tenure as Chief Justice. Amdahl died on August 24, 2010 at the age of 91 and was buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Douglas K. Amdahl, Chief Justice". Minnesota State Law Library. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Douglas K. Amdahl". Minnesota State Law Library. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
  3. 1 2 "Imgur". Imgur. Retrieved 2018-09-29.
  4. ↑ MitchellLaw (2009-10-14), Chief Justice Douglas Amdahl: The best of the legal profession, retrieved 2018-09-29
  5. ↑ "Former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Douglas Amdahl, once of Mabel". Bluff Country Newspaper Group. September 1, 2010. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  6. ↑ Jessica Mador Retired Minn. justice Douglas Amdahl dies Minnesota Public Radio. Aug 24, 2010
  7. ↑ James C. Otis (1989). "A Tribute to Douglas K. Amdahl". William Mitchell Law Review, Volume 15, Issue 1, Article 7. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  8. ↑ Jessica Thompson Minnesota's Legal Hall of Fame Minnesota Law & Politics
  9. ↑ "Photographs of the First Members of the Minnesota Court of Appeals" (PDF).
  10. ↑ "Imgur". Above Miller cafeteria. Retrieved 2018-09-29.
  11. ↑ "Chief Judges". Imgur. Retrieved 2018-09-29.
  12. 1 2 "interview with Chief Justice Douglas K. Amdahl".
  13. ↑ "A Tribute to Douglas K. Amdahl", William Mitchell Law Review, Springer-Verlag, retrieved 2018-09-29 at page ¶ 3.
  14. ↑ "Douglas K. Amdahl". StarTribune. August 24, 2010. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.