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Court of Appeals Opinions

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IMPORTANT NOTICE

Appellate Courts transmit all notices, orders, and opinions electronically.

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.

Precedential OpinionsBy statute, the Court of Appeals issues a precedential (formerly called "published") opinion only in the most important and complex cases. Precedential 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 of caselaw found in most law libraries.

DECISIONS OF THE COURT OF APPEALS
FILED Monday, May 10, 2021



A20-1437        In the Matter of the Civil Commitment of: Matthew Shawn Froehlich.
                         Clearwater County District Court, Hon. Robert D. Tiffany.
            The requirement in Minn. Stat. § 253B.092, subd. 6(d) (2020), that a party seeking court authorization to administer neuroleptic medication to a patient subject to civil commitment must prove the patient’s incapacity by a preponderance of the evidence does not violate the patient’s right to privacy under the Minnesota Constitution.
            Affirmed.  Judge Louise Dovre Bjorkman.


A20-1083        Joseph Walsh, Appellant, Don Lorge, Appellant, vs. State of Minnesota, Respondent.   
                         Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Sara R. Grewing.
            County attorneys and county sheriffs performing routine prosecutorial and law-enforcement duties are not “employee[s] of the state” within the meaning of Minnesota Statutes section 3.732, subdivision 1(2) (2020).
            Affirmed.  Judge Theodora K. Gaitas.
 
Nonprecedential OpinionsNonprecedential opinions (formerly called "unpublished opinions") are issued in cases that are less complicated, that involve legal issues that have already been decided in precedential opinions, or that will affect only the parties to that particular case. These opinions are usually shorter than precedential opinions, do not contain extensive discussion of the facts, and are not generally relied on by other courts to the same degree as precedential opinions.

NONPRECEDENTIAL OPINIONS
FILED Monday, May 10, 2021

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



1.         A20-0345
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Adam John Flategraff, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Renee L. Worke.
            Steele County District Court, Hon. Joseph A. Bueltel.

2.         A20-1218
            Washington Jimenez-Moncayo, Appellant, vs. Ashley Davis, et al., Respondents.
            Affirmed.  Judge Matthew E. Johnson.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Joseph R. Klein.

3.         A20-0851
            Dantzler Thomas, Relator, vs. Thermotech LLC, Respondent, Department of
            Employment and Economic Development, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Matthew E. Johnson.
            Department of Employment and Economic Development.

4.         A20-1395
            In the Matter of the Welfare of: J. D. C., Child.
            Reversed and remanded.  Judge Michelle A. Larkin.
            Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Stephen L. Smith.

5.         A20-0899
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Dewayne Romel Holmes, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Michelle A. Larkin.
            Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Judith M. Tilsen.

6.         A20-1275
            Thomas M. Fafinski, Respondent, vs. Douglas Johnson, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Denise D. Reilly.
            Dakota County District Court, Hon. Arlene Perkkio and Hon. Judge Richelle M Wahi.

7.         A20-1334
            Mitchell Wilfred Suess, Respondent, vs. Wesley W. Scott, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Peter M. Reyes, Jr.
            Sherburne County District Court, Hon. Karen Schommer.

8.         A20-1101
            Nathan Mead, Appellant, vs. BNSF Railway Co., Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Lucinda E. Jesson.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Joseph R. Klein.

9.         A20-0877
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Chad Allen Gustafson, Appellant.
            Reversed and remanded.  Judge Lucinda E. Jesson.
            Polk County District Court, Hon. Tamara Lynn Yon.

10.       A20-0666
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Tim Davin Dortch, Appellant.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded.  Judge Lucinda E. Jesson.
            Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Sophia Y. Vuelo.

11.       A20-1404
            In the Matter of the Welfare of the Child of: T. A. V. G., Parent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Tracy M. Smith.
            Clay County District Court, Hon. Michelle W. Lawson.

12.       A20-1069
            Brian Ford Dowell, petitioner, Appellant, vs. State of Minnesota, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Diane B. Bratvold.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Tamara G. Garcia.

13.       A20-0832
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Jeffrey Bond Troyer, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Diane B. Bratvold.
            Dakota County District Court, Hon. Jamie L. Cork.

14.       A20-0897
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Shuxin Lan, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge James B. Florey.
            Washington County District Court, Hon. Richard C. Ilkka.

15.       A20-0370
            Richard W Bandimere, et al., Respondents, vs. Anita Summerville, Appellant, A
             Summerville Realty Corporation d/b/a Summerville Realty Group, Defendants.
            Affirmed.  Judge James B. Florey.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Mary R. Vasaly.

16.       A20-0346
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Curtis Lee Brame, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge James B. Florey.
            Douglas County District Court, Hon. Michelle L. Clark.

17.       A20-1162
            Molly Elizabeth Joyce, petitioner, Respondent, vs. Randy Clement, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jeanne M. Cochran.
            Olmsted County District Court, Hon. Lisa R Hayne.

18.       A20-1489
            In the Matter of the Welfare of the Child of: S. A. K., Parent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Randall J. Slieter.
            Koochiching County District Court, Hon. Dale Albert Wolf.

19.       A20-1356
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Earl Jay Murphy, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Randall J. Slieter.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Kerry Meyer.

20.       A20-0959
            Bennett & Koch Construction, LLC, Appellant, vs. Denise Jones, Respondent, Quicken
            Loans, Inc., Respondent, Novation Credit Union, Respondent.
            Reversed and remanded.  Judge Randall J. Slieter.
            Washington County District Court, Hon. John C. Hoffman.

21.       A20-0848
            In re the Marriage of:  Jaclyn Ann Stevens, petitioner, Respondent, vs. Gordon Michael
            Stevens, Appellant.
            Affirmed in part and reversed in part.  Judge Randall J. Slieter.
            Stearns County District Court, Hon. Kris Davick-Halfen.

22.       A20-1112
            Eric F. Netter, et al., Respondents, vs. Shauna L. Raisch, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan.
            Cass County District Court, Hon. Jana M. Austad.

23.       A20-1319
            Jalisa Yvette Crosby, petitioner, Appellant, vs. State of Minnesota, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jennifer Frisch.
            Polk County District Court, Hon. Jeffrey Scott Remick.

24.       A20-0969
            Tonia N. Williams, Relator, vs. Minnesota Board of Nursing, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Theodora K. Gaitas.
            Minnesota Board of Nursing.

25.       A20-1082
            In re the Marriage of:  Andrew John Stevens, petitioner, Appellant, vs. Kyla Anne
            Stevens, Respondent.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded.  Judge Jill Flaskamp Halbrooks.*
            Washington County District Court, Hon. Richard C. Ilkka.

 
* 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
May 10, 2021



NO ORDER OPINIONS FILED
 

NO SPECIAL RELEASE OPINIONS FILED

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

Opinion Sets For Opinions
Filed Monday, May 10, 2021

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.