Precedential OpinionsUnder Minn. Rule of Civil Appellate Procedure 136.01, the Court of Appeals issues a precedential opinion (formerly called "published opinions") only to clarify or develop the law.  In deciding whether to issue a precedential opinion, the court considers multiple factors listed in Minn. R. Civ. App. P. 136.01, subd. (1)(b), incluing whether the case establishes a new principle or rule of law, clarifies existing case law, decides a novel issue involving a constitutional provision, statute, administrative rule or rule of court, or resolves a significant or recurring legal issue.  Precedential opinions will be considered and used by courts faced with similar issues in the future, and they are published in books of caselaw found in most law libraries.  Under Minn. R. Civ. App. P. 128.02, subd. 1(f), parties may advise the court whether a precedential opinion would be helpful. 

DECISIONS OF THE COURT OF APPEALS
FILED Monday, June 16, 2025

A24-1203        State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Kyle Jacob Kocurek, Appellant.
                         Dakota County District Court, Hon. Ann M. Offermann.
            A defendant’s timely objection that relationship evidence should not be admitted because it fails to satisfy Minnesota Statutes section 634.20 (2024) preserves for appellate review a district court’s failure to sua sponte instruct the jury on the appropriate use of the evidence.
            Reversed and remanded.  Judge Jon Schmidt.


A24-1159        Tyrone Murphy, Appellant, vs. Aeon, Respondent, Steven Scott Management, Inc., et al., Respondents;
                         Kings Manor, LLC, Respondent, vs. Tyrone D. Murphy, Appellant, John Doe, et al., Defendants.  
                         Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Kerry Meyer, Hon. Judge Matthew Frank, Hon. Ngoc Nguyen and Hon. Toddrick S. Barnette.
            1.    A landlord’s installation of a padlock on a residential tenant’s apartment door without judicial process, when the tenant has neither abandoned nor surrendered the premises, is an unlawful lockout under Minn. Stat. § 504B.375 (2024).
            2.   A city’s determination that a residential apartment is temporarily uninhabitable due to fire damage and must not be occupied until repairs are complete does not extinguish a tenant’s present legal right to possess the premises under a written lease.
            3.    The plain language of Minn. Stat. § 504B.425(g) (2024) does not categorically exclude an award of alternative housing costs or consequential damages to a tenant who has prevailed in an emergency tenant remedies action under Minn. Stat. § 504B.381 (2022), even when the fire that caused the tenant’s apartment to become uninhabitable was not caused by a landlord.
            Reversed and remanded.  Judge Rachel F. Bond.
 

Nonprecedential OpinionsNonprecedential opinions (formerly called "unpublished opinions") are typically issued in cases that do not contain issues of first impression or involve the application of established law to the particular set of facts and circumstances in that case.  See Minn. R. Civ. App. 136.01.  Nonprecedential opinions "are not binding authority except as law of the case, res judicata or collateral estoppel, but nonprecedential opinions may be cited as persuasive authority." Minn. R. Civ. App. 136.01. 

NONPRECEDENTIAL OPINIONS
FILED Monday, June 16, 2025

Pursuant to Minn. R. Civ. App. P. 136.01, subd. 1 (c)

1.         A24-1610
            Dennis J. Daulton, trustee for the next of kin of Brady Joel Daulton, deceased, Appellant,
            vs. TMS Treatment Center, Inc., d/b/a  Carlson Drake House, Respondent.
            Reversed and remanded.  Judge Renee L. Worke.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Joseph R. Klein.

2.         A24-0995
            The CastleRock Group, LLC, et al., Appellants, vs. Ryan Litfin, et al., Respondents.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded. Judge Kevin G. Ross.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Thomas J. Conley.

3.         A24-0949
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Joseph Manasseh Johnson, Appellant.
            Reversed.  Judge Kevin G. Ross.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Carolina A. Lamas and Hon. Michael E. Burns.

4.         A24-1474
            Jerome E. Johnson, Appellant, vs. Stacy A. Bee, Respondent, Cheryl Steele, Defendant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Matthew E. Johnson
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Bridget Sullivan.

5.         A24-1223
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Royce James Stute, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Matthew E. Johnson.
            Hubbard County District Court, Hon. Eric P. Schieferdecker.

6.         A24-1726
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Eric Alan Gramentz, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Louise Dovre Bjorkman.
            Brown County District Court, Hon. Allison Krehbiel-Baskfield.

7.         A24-1475
            Kryzta Ellyzabeth-Marie Martinez, Respondent, vs. Zhana Jeanette Gunderson, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Louise Dovre Bjorkman.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Laura Marie Thomas.

8.         A24-1195
            Partners in Nutrition d/b/a Partners in Quality Care (PIQC)'s Appeals of MDE's April 15,
            2024 Decision Proposing to Terminate Agreement and Proposing to Disqualify PIQC and
            Responsible Individuals from Future Participation in the Child and Adult Care Food
            Program.
            Affirmed.  Judge Peter M. Reyes, Jr.
            Minnesota Department of Education.

9.         A24-1533
            In the Matter of the Welfare of: A. J. P., Child.
            Affirmed.  Judge Tracy M. Smith.
            Dissenting, Judge Matthew E. Johnson.
            Dakota County District Court, Hon. Christopher J. Lehmann.
 
10.       A24-0951
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Joseph Sean Anthony Porter, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Diane B. Bratvold.
            Chisago County District Court, Hon. Leonardo Castro.

11.       A24-1342
            Andrew Charles Patton, petitioner, Appellant, vs. State of Minnesota, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jeanne M. Cochran.
            Hubbard County District Court, Hon. Eric P. Schieferdecker.

12.       A24-0236
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Anthony Deshawn Coleman, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Sarah I. Wheelock.
            Waseca County District Court, Hon. Carol M. Hanks.

13.       A24-1383
            In re the Guardianship of Devin Ziegler.
            Affirmed.  Judge Elise Larson.
            Waseca County District Court, Hon. Carol M. Hanks.

14.       A24-0984
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Jessee Lee Kuhns, Appellant.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded.  Judge Elise Larson.
            Stearns County District Court, Hon. Nathaniel Welte.

15.       A24-0863
            Neil Mark Hatfield, petitioner, Respondent, vs. Jennifer M. Hatfield, Appellant, County of
            Itasca, Intervenor.
            Affirmed in part and remanded.  Judge Keala C. Ede.
            Itasca County District Court, Hon. Sarah McBroom.

16.       A24-0157
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Faron James Beaulieu, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jon Schmidt.
            Mille Lacs County District Court, Hon. Matthew M. Quinn.

17.       A24-1152
            Smith Jadin Johnson, PLLC, et al., Respondents, vs. Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance
            Company, Appellant.
            Reversed and remanded.  Judge JaPaul J. Harris.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Karen A. Janisch.


 

Order OpinionsCases that involve a few simple issues may be decided by order opinions, which include little discussion of the facts of the case and a brief analysis of the laws that are involved. Order opinions "are not binding authority except as law of the case, res judicata or collateral estoppel." Minn. R. Civ. App. 136.01. 

RECENT ORDER OPINIONS
June 16, 2025

1.         A24-1760
            Jeffrey John Walker, Appellant, vs. City of Afton, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Matthew E. Johnson.
            Washington County District Court, Hon. Douglas B. Meslow.

2.         A24-1965
            Raymond Joseph Traylor, Sr., petitioner, Appellant, vs. State of Minnesota,
            Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Tracy M. Smith.
            Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Patrick C. Diamond.

3.         A24-1492
            James Earl Bailey, petitioner, Appellant, vs. State of Minnesota, Respondent.
            Reversed and remanded.  Judge Sarah I. Wheelock.
            Olmsted County District Court, Hon. Pamela King.
 

Opinions released on a day other than the court’s weekly release date will appear on the Special Release Opinions tab. Special release opinions may be precedential, nonprecedential, or order opinions.  

NO SPECIAL RELEASE OPINIONS FILED

Opinion SetsAs of June 1, 2023, the Court of Appeals no longer provides opinion sets in Word Document format and Rich Text Format. Opinions are available in PDF format under the Opinions tabs on this site.

Opinion Sets For Opinions
Filed Monday, June 16, 2025

Opinion Set in a Zipped PDF Format

1. Click the above link.
2. Save the unzipped file to your computer.
3. Choose the "Open" option on the Download Complete screen.
4. Extract the files to a location of your choice.
5. Open the extracted file.