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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 Monday, April 6, 2020


 
A19-0959        State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Casey Belden Hoskins, Appellant.
                         Carver County District Court, Hon. Janet L. Barke Cain.
            When a district court imposes an intermediate sanction of incarceration for a probation violation, the defendant is entitled to the statutory good conduct allowance under Minn. Stat. § 643.29 (2018) and shall not be prospectively deprived of that good conduct allowance.
            Affirmed in part and reversed in part.  Judge John R. Rodenberg
 
 
A19-0451        State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Carrie Lynn Friese, Appellant.
                         Olmsted County District Court, Hon. Joseph F. Chase.
            The plain meaning of the phrase "be exposed to" as used in Minn. Stat. § 152.137, subd. 2(b) (2016), requires the state to prove that a defendant knowingly caused or permitted methamphetamine to be accessible to a child or subjected a child to methamphetamine and does not require the state to prove that the child had physical contact with methamphetamine.
            Affirmed.  Judge Diane B. Bratvold.
 
 
A19-1170        In the Matter of the Administrative Order Issued to Moses Wazwaz, Individually, Allstate Construction,
                        Inc., and A & K Construction Services, Inc.
                         Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.
            A person who holds out as a residential building contractor and who does not meet any of the exemptions from licensure set forth in Minn. Stat. § 326B.805, subd. 6 (2018), must comply with the license requirements of Minn. Stat. §§ 326B.801 .885 (2018 & Supp. 2019), even if the person, or the person’s business entity, is part of a joint venture with a person or entity that holds a license.
            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 Monday, April 6, 2020

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



1.         A19-1078
            Catherine Jordan, Appellant, vs. Town of Brevator, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Renee L. Worke.
            St. Louis County District Court, Hon. Shaun R. Floerke.
 
2.         A19-1047
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. David Francis Chamberlain, III, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Renee L. Worke.
            Anoka County District Court, Hon. John Dehen.
 
3.         A19-1376
            James A. Compart, et al., Appellants, vs. Michael K. Riley, Sr., et al., Respondents.
            Affirmed.  Judge Francis J. Connolly.
            Nicollet County District Court, Hon. Robert A. Docherty.
 
4.         A19-0735
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Jason Ashley Kingsley, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Francis J. Connolly.
            Anoka County District Court, Hon. Jonathan Neal Jasper.
 
5.         A19-1222
            State of Minnesota, Appellant, vs. Sahra Abdilahi Ahmed, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Matthew E. Johnson.
            Kandiyohi County District Court, Hon. Stephanie L. Beckman.
 
6.         A19-0684
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Demetrius Lamont Chestnut, Appellant.
            Reversed.  Judge Matthew E. Johnson.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Jeannice M. Reding.
 
7.         A19-1629
            In the Matter of the Welfare of: A. H. C., Child.
            Affirmed.  Judge Michelle A. Larkin.
            Cass County District Court, Hon. Janna M. Austad.
 
8.         A19-1142
            Scott H. Lansing, Appellant, vs. Wells Fargo Bank, NA, et al., Respondents.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded.  Judge Michelle A. Larkin.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Kevin S. Burke.
 
 9.         A19-1447
            In re the Matter of the Welfare of the Children of: S. M. K. and L. C. S., Parents.
            Affirmed.  Judge John R. Rodenberg.
            Pine County District Court, Hon. Heather Wynn.
 
10.       A19-1354
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Jomar Londo Haines, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Carol A. Hooten.
            Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Judith M. Tilsen.
 
11.       A19-1133
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Christopher Lee Rogers, Appellant.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded.  Judge Carol A. Hooten.
            Becker County District Court, Hon. Gretchen Thilmony.
 
12.       A19-1700, A19-1701, A19-1702, A19-1703
            State of Minnesota, Appellant, vs. Guy Gerald Sanschagrin, Respondent (A19-1700),
            Kristine Knudson Sanschagrin, Respondent (A19-1701), Jeffery Lowell Cameron,
            Respondent (A19-1702), Linda Kay Cameron, Respondent (A19-1703).
            Affirmed.  Judge Peter M. Reyes, Jr.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Laurie J. Miller.
 
13.       A19-0995
            In the Matter of: Mohamed Abdirahman.
            Affirmed.  Judge Peter M. Reyes, Jr.
            Department of Employment and Economic Development.
 
14.       A19-1438
            Kenneth Hovland, et al., Respondents, vs. Ryan Richard Jazdzewski, Appellant.
            Reversed and remanded.  Judge Diane B. Bratvold.
            St. Louis County District Court, Hon. Theresa Neo.
 
15.       A19-0296
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Caleb John Permann, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Diane B. Bratvold.
            Itasca County District Court, Hon. Korey D. Wahwassuck.
 
16.       A19-0471
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Scott Allen Lipe, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jeanne M. Cochran.
            Otter Tail County District Court, Hon. Kevin Miller.
 
17.       A18-1839
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Darcel Louis Magee, Appellant.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded.  Judge Jeanne M. Cochran.
            Dakota County District Court, Hon. David L. Knutson. 
 
18.       A19-1582
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Lanell Thaddeus Crenshaw, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Margaret A. Daly.
 
19.       A19-1318
            Randall Rahn, Relator, vs. Midway Farm Equipment, Inc., Respondent, Department of
            Employment and Economic Development, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan.
            Department of Employment and Economic Development.
 
20.       A19-1292
            Justin K. Ayers, et al., Respondents, vs. John William Kalal, et al., Appellants.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan.
            Dakota County District Court, Hon. Timothy J. McManus.
 
21.       A19-1168
            Garrett Thomas Cekalla, petitioner, Appellant, vs. Commissioner of Public Safety,
            Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Susan L. Segal.
            Crow Wing County District Court, Hon. Leslie May Metzen.
 
22.       A19-0561
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Thomas Joseph Kastigar, Appellant.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded.  Judge Susan L. Segal.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Kerry Meyer.
 
23.       A19-0372
            Rodney Tristan Miller, Petitioner, vs. Pamela Marie Miller, n/k/a Pamela Marie Spera,
            Respondent, Maria Molloy, intervenor, Appellant.
            Reversed and remanded.  Judge Randolph W. Peterson.*
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Naomi Garfinkel. 
 
* Retired judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, serving by appointment pursuant to Minn. Const. art. § 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
April 6, 2020



1.         A19-1838
            In the Matter of the Civil Commitment of: Renee P. Sharp.
            Affirmed.  Judge John R. Rodenberg
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Phillip Carruthers.
 
2.         A19-1531
            Peter Lonergan, Appellant, vs. Nancy Johnston, et al., Respondents.
            Affirmed.  Judge Carol A. Hooten.
            Carlton County District Court, Hon. Judge Rebecca Stumme.
 
3.         A19-1374
            In re Thomas Parafinik.
            Reversed and remanded.  Judge Susan L. Segal.
            Department of Employment and Economic Development.
 

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 Monday, April 6, 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.