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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 Tuesday, January 21, 2020



A19-0346         John Hayden, Respondent/Cross-Appellant, Paul Ostrow, Respondent/Cross-Appellant, vs. City of Minneapolis,
A19-0355        Appellant (A19-0346), The Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, Appellant (A19-0355), The Minnesota Sports
                         Facilities Authority, Cross-Respondent (A19-0355), Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC, et al., Cross-Respondents (A19-0355).       
                         Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Bruce A. Peterson.
            The Minneapolis City Council lacks authority to operate and manage a park because the Minneapolis City Charter reserves the authority to establish, govern, administer, and maintain parks to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.
            Affirmed.  Judge Randall J. Slieter.
 
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 Tuesday, January 21, 2020

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



1.         A19-0815
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Berry Alan Willis, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Renee L. Worke.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Nicole A. Engisch.

2.         A19-0392
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Eli Samuel Anderson, Appellant.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded.  Judge Renee L. Worke.
            Becker County District Court, Hon. Gretchen Thilmony.

3.         A19-0317
            Cynthia A. Linnerooth, petitioner, Respondent, vs. Gerald R. Linnerooth, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Renee L. Worke.
            Crow Wing County District Court, Hon. David J. Teneyck.

4.         A18-1583
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. William Frances Anderson, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Renee L. Worke.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Fred Karasov.

5.         A19-0622
            Vollie Andre Brown, Jr., petitioner, Appellant, vs. State of Minnesota, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Kevin G. Ross.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Jamie L. Anderson.

6.         A18-2034
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Hassan Farth Muse, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Kevin G. Ross.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Fred Karasov.

7.         A19-0978
            In re the Estate of: Ronald F. Bunde, Deceased.
            Affirmed.  Judge Francis J. Connolly.
            Dakota County District Court, Hon. Shawn M. Moynihan.

8.         A19-0961
            Roilan Garriga, petitioner, Appellant, vs. State of Minnesota, Respondent.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded.  Judge Francis J. Connolly.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Lisa K. Janzen.

9.         A18-1354
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Rashad Eric Spicer, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Francis J. Connolly.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Jay Quam.

10.       A19-0570
            Charles Wahren, Respondent, vs. Kate Radz a/k/a Katherine Verzhbitska-Radzills,
            Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Matthew E. Johnson.
            Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Leonardo Castro.

11.       A19-0574
            Highland Management Group Inc., Appellant, vs. Joyce Moeller, Respondent.
            Reversed and remanded; motion denied.  Judge John R. Rodenberg.
            Concurring specially, Judge Kevin G. Ross.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Ivy S. Bernhardson.

12.       A19-0349
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Laura Cerda, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Louise Dovre Bjorkman.
            Olmsted County District Court, Hon. Jodi L. Williamson.

13.       A19-0932
            State of Minnesota, Appellant, vs. Carr Leon Hagerman, Respondent.
            Reversed.  Judge Carol A. Hooten.
            Scott County District Court, Hon. Rex D. Stacey.

14.       A19-0111
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Danny Hugh Burns, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Carol A. Hooten.
            Clay County District Court, Hon. Michelle W. Lawson.

15.       A19-0718
            ARF, LLC, a Minnesota limited liability company, Respondent, vs. SAMS Enterprises,
            LLC, et al., Appellants, Creekside Office Warehouse Condominium Association,
            Defendant.
            Reversed.  Judge Denise D. Reilly.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Kevin S. Burke.

16.       A19-0391
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Shantha Jayapathy, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Denise D. Reilly.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Lisa K. Janzen.

17.       A19-0117
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Peter Roy Byrnes, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Peter M. Reyes, Jr.
            Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Stephen L. Smith.

18.       A18-0548
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Shawn Clarke Spottswood, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Peter M. Reyes, Jr.
            Washington County District Court, Hon. Susan Miles.

19.       A19-0120
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Bradley Alan Freeman, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Lucinda E. Jesson.
            Stearns County District Court, Hon. William J. Cashman.

20.       A18-1974
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Derrick Deshawn Henderson, Appellant.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded.  Judge Lucinda E. Jesson.
            Concurring in part, dissenting in part, Judge Renee L. Worke.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. William H. Koch.

21.       A19-1253
            In re the Matter of the Welfare of the Children of: J. D. T. and J. M. O., Parents.
            Affirmed.  Judge Tracy M. Smith.
            Grant County District Court, Hon. Amy J. Doll.

22.       A19-0436
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Natasha Renae Berry, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Tracy M. Smith.
            Goodhue County District Court, Hon. Lawrence F. Clark.

23.       A19-0157
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Raciel Zalva Zaldivar-Proenza, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Tracy M. Smith.
            Swift County District Court, Hon. David L. Mennis.

24.       A19-0943
            Jordan Handrich, Appellant, vs. Woodbury Spine and Injury Center, P.A., et al.,
             Respondents.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded.  Judge Diane B. Bratvold.
            Washington County District Court, Hon. Laura A. Pietan.

25.       A19-0613
            Zondra A. Thompson, petitioner, Respondent, vs. Eric L. Thompson, Appellant.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded.  Judge Diane B. Bratvold.
            Carlton County District Court, Hon. Robert E. Macaulay, Jr.

26.       A18-2066
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Brandon Jon Urban, Appellant.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded.  Judge Jeanne M. Cochran.
            Freeborn County District Court, Hon. Steven Schwab.

27.       A19-1033
            State of Minnesota, Appellant, vs. Judana Catherine Williams, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Randall J. Slieter.
            Rice County District Court, Hon. Christine Long.

28.       A19-0672
            Gary Paul Johnston, petitioner, Appellant, vs. State of Minnesota, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Randall J. Slieter
            Dissenting, R. A. (Jim) Randall.*
            Olmsted County District Court, Hon. Jacob C Allen.

29.       A19-0314
            In the Matter of the Application of Debora Lee Neu, Brian Joseph Neu for a Change of
            Name of Minor.
            Affirmed.  Judge Susan L. Segal.
            Stearns County District Court, Hon. Mary B. Mahler.
 
 
* Retired judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, serving by appointment pursuant to Minn. Const. art. VI, § 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
January 21, 2020



1.         A19-1586
            In the Matter of the Civil Commitment of: Wayne Carl Nicolaison.
            Affirmed.  Judge Louise Dovre Bjorkman.
            Commitment Appeal Panel.
 

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 Tuesday, January 21, 2020

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.