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Court of Appeals Opinions

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IMPORTANT NOTICE

Appellate Courts will begin transmitting all notices, orders, and opinions electronically.

Beginning no later than July 1, 2011, the appellate courts will send notices, orders, opinions, and correspondence related to pending cases to attorneys in those cases by e-mail rather than postal mail.  All attorneys with pending appellate cases who have not already registered an e-mail address should do so immediately.  Unrepresented parties with pending appellate cases may also participate in this e-notification system by registering an e-mail address.  Please visit the Clerk of Appellate Courts page for instructions on how to register your e-mail address.
 

Opinion Policies

Minnesota Court of Appeals opinions are issued weekly and are available to the public at 10 a.m. CST/CDT every Monday.

On Wednesday of every week, the Court of Appeals will mail a notice that informs counsel, pro se parties, and court personnel associated with a case that an opinion will be released the following Monday.  Opinions are available online or by visiting the Clerk of Appellate Courts, 305 Minnesota Judicial Center, 25 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, after the Monday release time.  Copies of the opinions are mailed to involved parties on Mondays.

In certain time-sensitive cases, the Court of Appeals may issue opinions on a business day other than Monday.  In these instances, involved parties will be contacted just prior to the special release.

Please visit the Minnesota State Law Library's Appellate Opinions Archive for previously released Court of Appeals Opinions.

NOTE: If you are having trouble accessing the tabs on your mobile device, you may view all Opinions on a single page.

Published OpinionsBy statute, the Court of Appeals issues a published opinion only in the most important and complex cases. Published opinions include an extensive analysis of the facts and law. They will be considered and used by courts faced with similar issues in the future, and they are published in books found in most law libraries.

DECISIONS OF THE COURT OF APPEALS
FILED Monday, April 22, 2019



A18-0343        State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Juan Neil Garcia, Appellant.
                        Dakota County District Court, Hon. M. Michael Baxter.
            In an appeal challenging the district court’s omnibus-hearing decision rejecting a criminal defendant’s entrapment defense, this court will review factual findings for clear error and legal conclusions de novo.
            Reversed and remanded.  Judge Kevin G. Ross.


A18-0750        White Bear Lake Restoration Association, ex rel. State of Minnesota, Respondent, and White Bear Lake Homeowners'
                         Association, Inc., ex rel. State of Minnesota, plaintiff intervenor, Respondent, vs. Minnesota Department of
                         Natural Resources, et al., Appellants, and Town of White Bear, defendant intervenor, Co-Appellant, City of White Bear
                         Lake, defendant intervenor, Co-Appellant.
                         Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Margaret M. Marrinan.
            1.   When a complaint alleging violations of the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act (MERA) relates to conduct undertaken pursuant to a permit issued by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the only available relief is under Minn. Stat. § 116B.10 (2018), and the bar in Minn. Stat. § 116B.03 (2018) applies.
            2.   In Minnesota, the common-law public-trust doctrine applies to navigable waters and does not apply to groundwater withdrawals.
            Reversed and remanded.  Judge John R. Rodenberg.
            Dissenting, Judge Diane B. Bratvold.

 
Unpublished OpinionsUnpublished opinions are issued in cases that are less complicated, that involve legal issues that have already been decided in published opinions, or that will affect only the parties to that particular case. These opinions are usually shorter, do not contain extensive discussion of the facts, and are not generally relied on by other courts to the same degree as published opinions.

UNPUBLISHED OPINIONS
FILED Monday, April 22, 2019

Pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 480A.08, subd. 3 (2018)



1.         A18-1968
            In the Matter of the Welfare of the Children of: H. R. S. and Z. J. L., Sr., Parents.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jill Flaskamp Halbrooks.
            Anoka County District Court, Hon. Barry A. Sullivan.

2.         A18-1790
            In the Matter of the Civil Commitment of: Chester Lee Grauberger.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jill Flaskamp Halbrooks.
            Lincoln County District Court, Hon. Leland Bush and Hon. Patrick R. Rohland.

3.         A18-1328
            Daniel Everette Olean, Appellant, vs. Moose Lake CO-OPerative Association,
            Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jill Flaskamp Halbrooks.
            Carlton County District Court, Hon. Robert E. Macaulay, Jr.

4.         A18-0836
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. James Martin Rusthoven, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jill Flaskamp Halbrooks.
            Swift County District Court, Hon. David L. Mennis.

5.         A18-0798
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Guytrell Edward Hawkins, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jill Flaskamp Halbrooks.
            Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Nicole J. Starr.

6.         A18-0559, A18-1214, A18-1406
            Scott Kowalewski, Respondent, vs. BNSF Railway Company, Appellant.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded.  Judge Renee L. Worke.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Amy Dawson.
 
7.         A18-1280
            State of Minnesota, by its Commissioner of Transportation, petitioner, Respondent, vs.
            Rosemary R. Elbert, et al., Appellants.
            Affirmed.  Judge Kevin G. Ross.
            Lake County District Court, Hon. Michael J. Cuzzo.

8.         A18-1099
            Berkeley Read Lewis, petitioner, Appellant, vs. State of Minnesota, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Heidi S. Schellhas.
            Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Jeffrey Bryan.

9.         A18-1019
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Jared Phillip Renner, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Heidi S. Schellhas.
            Polk County District Court, Hon. Kurt  J. Marben.

10.       A18-1204
            Amanda Grace Visser, Appellant, vs. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance
            Company, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Matthew E. Johnson.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Mel I. Dickstein.

11.       A18-1347, A18-1372
            In the Matter of the Welfare of: C. A. B. H., Child.
            Affirmed.  Judge Francis J. Connolly.
            Faribault County District Court, Hon. Judge Troy Timmerman and Martin County
            District Court, Hon. Michael D. Trushenski.

12.       A18-0894
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Mohammad Beliad, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Francis J. Connolly.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. William H. Koch.

13.       A18-0878
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Brendon Scott Vagle, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Michelle A. Larkin.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Toddrick S. Barnette.

14.       A18-1778
            In re Welfare of Child of: M. B. B. and K. C. M., Parents.
            Affirmed.  Judge John R. Rodenberg.
            Redwood County District Court, Hon. Patrick R Rohland.

15.       A18-0850
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Darren Heath Degroot, Appellant.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded.  Judge John R. Rodenberg.
            Concurring in part, dissenting part, Chief Judge Edward J. Cleary.
            Nobles County District Court, Hon. Gordon L. Moore, III.

16.       A18-1396
            In re the Marriage of:  Kimberly Kay Seidel, petitioner, Appellant, vs. Trevor Carlton
            Seidel, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Lucinda E. Jesson.
            Anoka County District Court, Hon. Barry A. Sullivan.

17.       A18-1205
            Gamma Lending Omega, LLC, Respondent, vs. Talon First Trust, LLC, et al.,
            Appellants, Thomas Grace Construction, Inc., Defendant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Diane B. Bratvold.
            Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Leonardo Castro.

18.       A18-0803
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Jeremy Allen Giles, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Diane B. Bratvold.
            McLeod County District Court, Hon. Judge Jody L. Winter.

19.       A18-1586
            Samuel Zean, Appellant, vs. Mary T. Inc., et al. Respondents.
            Affirmed.  Judge James B. Florey.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Judge Kristin Siegesmund.

20.       A18-1318, A18-1513
            Jeremy John Queen, petitioner, Appellant, vs. State of Minnesota, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge James B. Florey.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Toddrick S. Barnette.
 
21.       A18-0892
            Mary Brown, Appellant, vs. MSP Services LLC, d/b/a MSP Home Rental, Respondent.
            Reversed.  Judge Jeanne M. Cochran.
            Dakota County District Court, Hon. Tim D. Wermager.

22.       A18-1158
            Lisa A. Curtis, Relator, vs. Cloquet/Carlton Housing and Redevelopment Authority,
            Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Michael L. Kirk.*
            Cloquet/Carlton Housing and Redevelopment Authority.
 
* Retired judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, serving by appointment pursuant to Minn. Const. art. § 10.
 
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.

RECENT ORDER OPINIONS
April 22, 2019



1.         A18-1667
            Dane Johnson, Relator, vs. Department of Employment and Economic Development,
            Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Michelle A. Larkin.
            Department of Employment and Economic Development.
 

NO SPECIAL RELEASE OPINIONS FILED

Opinion SetsOpinion sets contain all published, unpublished, and order opinions. The sets are compressed into files that must be unpacked before opening them.

Opinion Sets For Opinions
Filed Monday, April 22, 2019

Opinion Set in a Zipped Word Document 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.

Opinion Set in a Zipped Rich Text 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.