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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 Tuesday, January 19, 2021



A20-1182        In the Matter of the Welfare of the Child of:  H. G. D. and J. R. Q., Parents.
                         Rice County District Court, Hon. Christine Anne Long.
            The plain language of Minnesota Rule of Juvenile Protection Procedure 18 allows a county to present evidence when a parent fails to appear at a hearing upon proper notice and, in a CHIPS proceeding under rule 49.03, requires the county to present clear and convincing evidence that the child is in need of protection or services.
            Reversed.  Judge Renee L. Worke.
 
 
A20-0366        State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Edgar Isidro Galvan-Contreras, Appellant.
                         Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Jay Quam.
            A conviction for interference with the privacy of a minor pursuant to Minnesota Statutes section 609.746, subdivision 1(e)(2) (2018), does not require proof that the defendant had knowledge of the victim’s age.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan.
 
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 Tuesday, January 19, 2021

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



1.         A20-1065
            In the Matter of the Welfare of the Children of:  Y. F., Parent.
            Affirmed in part and remanded.  Chief Judge Susan L. Segal.
            Martin County District Court, Hon. Michael D. Trushenski.

2.         A20-0291
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. James Anthony Niesen, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Renee L. Worke.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Theodora K. Gaitas.

3.         A19-1934
            In re the Guardianship of: Kevin Andrews.
            Affirmed.  Judge Kevin G. Ross.
            Carlton County District Court, Hon. Rebekka L. Stumme.

4.         A20-0430
            Trejuan Dominic Miller, petitioner, Appellant, vs. State of Minnesota, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Kevin G. Ross.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Shereen Askalani.    

5.         A19-1989
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Corey David Johnson, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Francis J. Connolly.
            McLeod County District Court, Hon. Jody L. Winters.

6.         A19-2026
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. David Earl Peguse, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Matthew E. Johnson.
            Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Patrick C. Diamond.

7.         A20-0996
            In the Matter of the Civil Commitment of: Esteban Trevino.
            Affirmed.  Judge Matthew E. Johnson.
            Kandiyohi County District Court, Hon. Stephen J. Wentzell.

8.         A19-1965
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Halana Debra Louise Harris, Appellant.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded.  Judge Louise Dovre Bjorkman.
            Dakota County District Court, Hon. Jerome B. Abrams.

9.         A20-1045
            In the Matter of the Welfare of the Children of: C. K. (Deceased) and J. D. K., Parents.
            Affirmed.  Judge Peter M. Reyes, Jr.
            Anoka County District Court, Hon. Barry A. Sullivan.

10.       A20-0016
            In re the Marriage of: Caryn Blaine Evans, petitioner, Respondent, vs. Keith Eric Evans,
            Appellant.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded.  Judge Tracy M. Smith.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Paul Scoggin.

11.       A20-0054
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Damon Moore, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Tracy M. Smith.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Tamara G. Garcia.

12.       A20-0264
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Reginald Fanpatrick Wilson, Appellant.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded.  Judge Tracy M. Smith.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Sarah S. West.

13.       A20-0632
            James Michael Soderbeck, petitioner, Appellant, vs. State of Minnesota, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Tracy M. Smith.
            Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Jennifer Frisch.

14.       A20-0591
            Robert Webb, Jr., petitioner, Appellant, vs. State of Minnesota, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Diane B. Bratvold.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Regina M. Chu.

15.       A20-0603
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Barbara Ann Currin, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Diane B. Bratvold.
            Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Diane R. Alshouse.

16.       A19-2025
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Bruce Edward Canady, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jeanne M. Cochran.
            Stearns County District Court, Hon. Shan C. Wang.

17.       A20-0005
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Joshua Chukwuebuke Ineh, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jeanne M. Cochran.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Peter A. Cahill.

18.       A19-1418
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Yony Galan-Alvillar, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Randall J. Slieter.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Peter A. Cahill. 
 
19.       A20-0627
            Anthony Keith Meister, petitioner, Appellant, vs. State of Minnesota, Respondent.
            Affirmed.  Judge Randall J. Slieter.
            Stearns County District Court, Hon. Sarah E. Hennesy.

20.       A19-2086
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Reginald Fenion Coe, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Regina M. Chu.

21.       A20-0214
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Damien Damonte Carey, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Regina M. Chu.

22.       A20-0494
            Dr. Kimberly Finch, Appellant, vs. Abbott Northwestern Hospital, et al., Respondents.
            Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded.  Judge Jennifer L. Frisch.
            Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Patrick D. Robben.

23.       A20-1230
            In the Matter of the Civil Commitment of: Anthony John Dentz.
            Reversed and remanded.  Judge Jennifer L. Frisch.
            Dakota County District Court, Hon. Michael J. Mayer.

24.       A19-1972
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Daniel John Mallet, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Theodora K. Gaitas.
            Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Sophia Y. Vuelo.

25.       A20-0549
            State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Gary Michael Stillwell, Appellant.
            Affirmed.  Judge Theodora K. Gaitas.
            St. Louis County District Court, Hon. Mark M. Starr.

 
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
January 19, 2021



1.         A20-0436
            In re the Marriage of:  Sharon Elizabeth Anderson, petitioner, Appellant, vs. William
            Thomas Anderson, Respondent.
            Reversed and remanded.  Judge Peter M. Reyes, Jr.
            Carver County District Court, Hon. Kevin W. Eide.
 

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 Tuesday, January 19, 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.