Governor Pawlenty appoints Associate Justice Lorie Gildea Chief Justice of Minesota’s Supreme Court. The current Chief Justice Eric Magnuson is retiring next month. To fill the Gildea’s seat, Pawlenty appointed David Stras to the court. Stras is the one who wrote a “friend of the court brief” supporting Governor Pawlenty’s position in the unallotment case. Justice Gildea supported Pawlenty’s position in that case, but he lost it in a 4-3 MN Supreme Court decision.
The last several Minnesota Supreme Court justices have retired before they have had to face election. When asked about whether she would do the same, Gildea announced that she is running for election. Stras later said he also intended to run for election.
Editor’s Note: According to MPR, they will not have to run for election until 2012.
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