News Item
Judge Spilseth Re-elected Chief Judge of Eighth Judicial District

Posted: Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Judge Thompson to continue as Assistant Chief Judge

The Honorable Donald M. Spilseth resumed his role as Chief Judge of Minnesota’s Eighth Judicial District today, after being re-elected for a second two-year term by his colleagues on the Eighth District Bench in June. Chief Judge Spilseth has been a judge in the Eighth Judicial District since 1994, and has served as Chief Judge since 2012. He is chambered out of the Kandiyohi County Courthouse in Willmar.

Eighth Judicial District Chief Judge Donald Spilseth
Eighth Judicial District Chief Judge Donald Spilseth

In addition, the Honorable Michael J. Thompson was re-elected as Assistant Chief Judge of the Eighth Judicial District, and will also serve another two-year term in that position. Assistant Chief Judge Thompson was first appointed to the bench in 2005.  Judge Thompson’s chambers are also located in the Kandiyohi County Courthouse in Willmar.

A more detailed profile of Chief Judge Spilseth can be found here and a profile of Judge Thompson can be found here.

By statute, the chief judge of a judicial district exercises general administrative authority over the courts within the judicial district, including assigning judges to serve in locations throughout the district. Chief judges and assistant chief judges are elected to two-year terms by judges within the district. New terms begin on July 1.

The Eighth Judicial District is comprised of Big Stone, Chippewa, Grant, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Meeker, Pope, Renville, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wilkin, and Yellow Medicine counties.