News Item
Judge Douglas Meslow Elected Chief Judge of Tenth Judicial District
Posted: Thursday, June 30, 2016
The Honorable Douglas B. Meslow has been elected to serve as Chief Judge of Minnesota’s Tenth Judicial District by his fellow judges in the district. Judge Meslow will assume the responsibilities of chief judge on July 1, 2016, after current Chief Judge John C. Hoffman completes his second two-year term in the role.
Judge Meslow has been a judge in the Tenth Judicial District since 2006, and currently serves as Assistant Chief Judge of the District. Before his appointment to the bench, Judge Meslow spent more than 20 years in private legal practice, and was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives and the White Bear Lake School Board. He is chambered in the Anoka County Courthouse in Anoka.
“Serving as a judge is both an honor and a responsibility,” said Judge Meslow. “As Chief Judge in the Tenth District, I am excited to work with judges across the state to preserve and strengthen the high quality of Minnesota’s courts.”
The Honorable Susan R. Miles was elected to replace Judge Meslow at the next Assistant Chief Judge of the Tenth Judicial District. Judge Miles was first elected to the bench in 1996. Her chambers are located in the Washington County Courthouse in Stillwater.
A more detailed profile of Assistant Chief Judge Meslow can be found here and a profile of Assistant Chief Judge Miles can be found here.
By statute, the chief judge of a judicial district exercises general administrative authority over the courts within the district, including assigning judges to serve in locations throughout the district. The chief judge of each juridical district also serves as a member of the Minnesota Judicial Council, the administrative policy-making authority for the Minnesota Judicial Branch.
Chief judges and assistant chief judges are elected to two-year terms by judges within the district. No judge may serve as chief judge or assistant chief judge for more than two consecutive two-year terms. New two-year terms begin on July 1.