Justia Minnesota Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

The Supreme Court denied Petitioners' petition filed under Minn. Stat. 204B.44(a) asking that the Supreme Court direct the Minnesota Secretary of State to include Roque De La Fuente's name as a candidate for The Republican Party of Minnesota's nomination for United States President on the ballot for the Minnesota presidential nomination primary election on March 3, 2020, holding that Petitioners' claims failed.Petitioners argued that the procedure established by Minn. Stat. 207A.13, which allows a major political party to determine which candidates' names will be on the ballot for a statewide presidential nomination primary, was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court disagreed, holding that section 207A.13 does not violate (1) the prohibition against special privileges because the Legislature had a rational basis for classifying political parties based on a party's participation in a national convention to nominate the party's presidential candidate; (2) the Presidential Eligibility Clause because requiring a political party to identify the candidates for the ballot to be used in a presidential nomination primary is not a condition of eligibility to serve as President of the United States; and (3) Petitioners' rights of free association because any burden imposed on those rights by the ballot preparation procedures is outweighed by the associational rights of political parties and the State's regulatory interests. View "De La Fuente v. Simon" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's convictions for eight crimes relating to the break in, robbery, and murder at James Herron's home but reversed the sentence imposed on Defendant for the first-degree aggravated robbery of Herron, holding that Defendant could not properly be sentenced for both first-degree murder while committing an aggravated robbery and first-degree aggravated robbery.Specifically, the Court held (1) the district court properly admitted Spreigl evidence at trial; (2) the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Defendant's proposed defense of duress; (3) even assuming without deciding that the district court erred by admitting evidence from Defendant's Facebook account, including business records and photos, the error was harmless; but (4) the district court erred by sentencing Defendant for more than one of the additional crimes committed against Herron after the initial burglary. View "State v. Smith" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court denying Appellant's second petition for postconviction relief, holding that the district court properly declined to grant Appellant a new trial and that Appellant's remaining claims also did not entitle him to relief.The Supreme Court reversed in part the district court's denial of Appellant's second postconviction petition and remanded for a determination of whether an evidentiary hearing was required to consider evidence set forth in two affidavits. The district court conducted a hearing and found that the testimony set forth in the affidavits was not credible. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) Appellant did not establish that he was entitled to a new trial under the tests set forth in Rainer v. State, 566 N.W.2d 692 (Minn. 1997), and State v. Caldwell, 322 N.W.2d 574 (Minn. 1982); and (2) the remainder of Appellant's claims were did not entitle Appellant to relief. View "Anderson v. State" on Justia Law

In this challenge to a zoning ordinance prohibiting industrial mineral operations within Winona County the Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals affirming the order of the district granting summary judgment to the County on all of Minnesota Sands, LLC's claims, holding that the ordinance was constitutional.Minnesota Sands, a mining company, sought to mine and process silica sand in the County. Minnesota Sands sued the County requesting declaratory, injunctive, and monetary relief. The district court granted summary judgment to the County. The court of appeals affirmed, concluding that the ordinance did not violate the dormant Commerce Clause or work an unconstitutional taking of Minnesota Sands' property interests. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) Minnesota Sands had standing to bring this case; (2) the County's ordinance did not violate the dormant Commerce Clause on its face, in purpose or in effect; and (3) Minnesota Sands' takings claims failed because the property interests it claimed were taken by the County had not yet accrued. View "Minnesota Sands, LLC v. County of Winona, Minnesota" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court dismissed Defendant's appeal from an order of the court of appeals affirming the district court's denial of Defendant's request for funding under Minn. Stat. 611.21(a) for out-of-court interpreter services to facilitate attorney-client communication with his public defender, holding that Defendant waived the interpreter-funding issue by pleading guilty before filing his petition for review.Defendant was charged with second-degree assault and attempted second-degree murder. Defendant needed an interpreter for his court appearances and meetings with his public defender. Defendant filed two ex parte applications to fund interpreter services, which the district court denied. Defendant pled guilty to second-degree assault and then filed a petition for review. The Supreme Court dismissed Defendant's appeal, holding that Defendant waived his right to challenge the denial of his request for funding by pleading guilty before filing his petition for review. View "State v. Montanez" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court denying Appellant's petition seeking the return of seized property, holding that the district court did not clearly err in finding that the seized property was being held as potential evidence in a pending investigation and in deciding that the property was being held in good faith.Appellant, an attorney, was part of an investigation. Pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement officers seized electronic devices containing files about Appellant's current and former clients. Appellant filed a motion seeking the return of the seized property. The district court considered the motion to be a petition under Minn. Stat. 626.04 and denied the motion on the ground that the property was being held in good faith as potential evidence in an uncharged matter. While this appeal was pending, Appellant was charged with theft by swindle. The Supreme Court affirmed without prejudice to any future challenge to the lawfulness of the search and seizure, holding that the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying the petition even though the court should have required the State to return the attorney copies of all client files seized. View "K.M. v. Burnsville Police Department" on Justia Law

In this dispute over the amount of loss after a fire occurred at the home of Respondents the Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the court of appeals reversing the judgment of the district court granting Respondents' motion to confirm an appraisal award but denying Respondents' motion for preaward interest as untimely, holding that the district court erred by applying the Minnesota Uniform Arbitration Act, Minn. Stat. 572B.01-.31, to a fire loss appraisal award.Respondents' home was insured against fire loss by Appellant. When Appellant and Respondent were unable to agree on the amount of the loss Respondents requested an appraisal. After an appraisal panel issued an award, which State Farm paid, Respondents sought confirmation of the appraisal and moved the court to grant preaward interest on the appraisal award. The superior court confirmed the appraisal award but denied the motion for preaward interest as untimely. The court of appeals reversed and remanded. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the Act did not apply to the appraisal process under the Minnesota Standard Fire Insurance Policy, Minn. Stat. 65A.01; and (2) a remand was necessary to allow the district court to determine whether Respondents were owed preaward interest and, if so, the amount of interest owed. View "Oliver v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Insurance Co." on Justia Law

The Supreme Court held that the fair and accurate reporting privilege protects news reports about statements on a matter of public concern made by law enforcement officers at an official press conference in an official press release.After Defendant was arrested in connection with a murder three law enforcement agencies held a press conference to announce Defendant's arrest and to discuss the investigation. That same day, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety issued a corresponding press release. Defendant was later released from jail and cleared as a suspect. Defendant sued Respondents for defamation based on their news coverage about his arrest. A jury found for Respondents. The district court set the jury verdict aside and ordered a new trial. The court of appeals reversed and reinstated the judgment for Respondents. The Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed in part, holding (1) out of the eleven alleged defamatory statements in the news reports the fair and accurate reporting privilege applies to seven statements; and (2) the jury instructions and special verdict form did not adequately set forth the relevant factors that the jury should consider in determining whether the privilege was defeated for lack of fairness and substantial accuracy, and the error was prejudicial as to five of the seven statements. View "Larsen v. Gannett Co., Inc." on Justia Law

In this appeal from the tax court's conclusion that the market value of Relator's two parcels of improved real estate was higher than the initial assessment value determined by Hennepin County or the valuation opinion presented by the sole appraiser to testify at trial the Supreme Court reversed in part the tax court, holding that the tax court erred in its valuation determination under the sales comparison approach.Relator sought review of Hennepin County's assessed value of $8,384,300 for Relator's retail shopping center property as of January 2, 2015. After a trial, the tax court gave a final valuation determination for the property of $8,461,400. Relator appealed, arguing that the tax court's value determination was excessive. The Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed in part, holding (1) the tax court did not err in its decision to afford no weight to Relator's expert's opinion on the income approach; but (2) the tax court erred in its valuation determination based on the sales-comparison approach. View "Inland Edinburgh Festival, LLC v. County of Hennepin" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals affirming the determination of Scott County that Consumer Directed Community Support (CDCS) money that Cindy Ali, whose son was disabled, had allocated to herself as wages to care for her child was not excluded from the annual income calculation for the purpose of Section 8 eligibility, holding that amounts allocated to a parent to care for her disabled child are not excluded as income under 24 C.F.R. 5.609(c)(16).This dispute arose from the interplay between two public welfare programs, the state CDCS option for families with disabled members, and Section 8, an income-based federal housing program. Ali participated in the Section 8 housing program until Scott County, the local housing administrator, determined that the amounts Ali paid herself under the CDCS option were not excluded from her income when calculating her eligibility for Section 8 housing. As a result, Ali lost her Section 8 eligibility. The court of appeals affirmed. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that the CDCS amounts Ali received as compensation for her services in caring for her child were correctly included as annual income when calculating Ali's Section 8 eligibility. View "In re Cindi Ali" on Justia Law