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Court of Appeals Opinions

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Opinion Policies

Minnesota Court of Appeals opinions are issued weekly and are available to the public at 10:00 a.m. CST/CDT every Monday. When a Monday is a holiday, opinions are issued on Tuesday.   

On Wednesday of every week, the Court of Appeals will distribute a notice that informs counsel, self-represented (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.

In certain time-sensitive cases, the Court of Appeals may issue opinions on other business days.  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 and previously released Special Term Orders.
 

NOTE: If you are having trouble accessing the tabs on your mobile device, you may view all Opinions on a single page.

Precedential OpinionsUnder Minn. Rule of Civil Appellate Procedure 136.01, the Court of Appeals issues a precedential opinion (formerly called "published opinions") only to clarify or develop the law.  In deciding whether to issue a precedential opinion, the court considers multiple factors listed in Minn. R. Civ. App. P. 136.01, subd. (1)(b), incluing whether the case establishes a new principle or rule of law, clarifies existing case law, decides a novel issue involving a constitutional provision, statute, administrative rule or rule of court, or resolves a significant or recurring legal issue.  Precedential opinions 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.  Under Minn. R. Civ. App. P. 128.02, subd. 1(f), parties may advise the court whether a precedential opinion would be helpful. 

DECISIONS OF THE COURT OF APPEALS
FILED Monday, March 24, 2025


A24-1134   Minnesota Alliance for Retired Americans Educational Fund, et al., Respondents, vs. Steve Simon, Appellant.
                    Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Edward Sheu.
          1. The witness requirement for absentee voting in Minn. Stat. § 203B.07, subd. 3 (2024), does not violate the vouching prohibition of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, 52 U.S.C. § 10501(a), (b)(4) (2018), because it does not require any voter to prove their voting qualifications by another’s voucher.
          2. The witness requirement for absentee voting in Minn. Stat. § 203B.07, subd. 3, does not violate the materiality provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 52 U.S.C. § 10101(a)(2)(B) (2018), as it pertains to a registered voter because the certifications that a witness provides for that voter do not relate to an application, registration, or other act requisite to voting.
          Reversed and remanded. Judge Louise Dovre Bjorkman.

Nonprecedential OpinionsNonprecedential opinions (formerly called "unpublished opinions") are typically issued in cases that do not contain issues of first impression or involve the application of established law to the particular set of facts and circumstances in that case.  See Minn. R. Civ. App. 136.01.  Nonprecedential opinions "are not binding authority except as law of the case, res judicata or collateral estoppel, but nonprecedential opinions may be cited as persuasive authority." Minn. R. Civ. App. 136.01. 

NONPRECEDENTIAL OPINIONS
FILED Monday, March 24, 2025

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


1.   A24-0822
      Daniel Frederick Schanze, petitioner, Appellant, vs. Danielle Ann Oldenburg, Respondent.
      Affirmed. Judge Renee L. Worke.
      Dakota County District Court, Hon. Judge Krista M Marks.

2.   A24-0463
      Rachel Beth Fate, petitioner, Appellant, vs. Chetan Singh Oshan, Respondent.
      Affirmed. Judge Renee L. Worke.
      Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Laura Marie Thomas.

3.   A24-0812
      Shona Tahiro, parent and natural guardian of Ramaden Waliye, a minor, Appellant, vs. The Higher Ground Academy, Defendant, Pride
      Transportation Bus Services LLC, et al., Respondents, Metropolitan Transportation Network, Inc., et al., Defendants.
      Affirmed. Judge Francis J. Connolly.
      Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Reynaldo Aligada, Jr.

4.   A24-0925
      Elizabeth Joy Glirbas, petitioner, Appellant, vs. Joshua Robert Glirbas, Respondent.
      Reversed and remanded. Judge Matthew E. Johnson.
      Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Timothy Ryan.

5.   A24-0921
      Aaron Olson, Appellant, vs. Holmes Housing Partners, LP, Respondent.
      Affirmed. Judge Matthew E. Johnson.
      Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Judge Sydnee Woods.

6.   A24-0934
      Ebony Reyes, et al., Appellants, vs. Kathy Jean Newago, Respondent.
      Reversed and remanded. Judge Louise Dovre Bjorkman.
      Beltrami County District Court, Hon. John G. Melbye.

7.   A24-0614
      Beth Ostergaard Stillwell on Behalf of Minor Child, petitioner, Respondent, vs. Harry Alan Stillwell, Appellant.
      Affirmed. Judge Tracy M. Smith.
      Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Charlene Hatcher.

8.   A24-0395
      Stacy Lee Row, petitioner, Appellant, vs. State of Minnesota, Respondent.
      Affirmed. Judge Jeanne M. Cochran.
      Stearns County District Court, Hon. Heidi E. Schultz.

9.   A24-0996
      State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Abraham Isaac Bell, Appellant.
      Remanded. Judge Randall J. Slieter.
      Scott County District Court, Hon. Christian S. Wilton.

10. A24-1670
      In the Matter of the Welfare of the Child of: M. K. B., aka M. K. L. B., aka M. K. B. L., aka M. K. L., C. A. C., B. J. N., Parents.
      Reversed and remanded. Judge Elise Larson.
      St. Louis County District Court, Hon. Andrew R. Peterson.

11. A24-0761
      Jeffrey Zoss, Relator, vs. Collibra, Inc., Respondent, Department of Employment and Economic Development, Respondent.
      Affirmed. Judge Elise Larson.
      Department of Employment and Economic Development.

12. A24-0521
      State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Jeremy Alan Giefer, Appellant.
      Affirmed. Judge Rachel F. Bond.
      Nicollet County District Court, Hon. Todd W. Westphal.

13. A24-1714
      In the Matter of the Civil Commitment of: Shawn Jamison.
      Affirmed. Judge James B. Florey.*
      Commitment Appeal Panel.

* 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. Order opinions "are not binding authority except as law of the case, res judicata or collateral estoppel." Minn. R. Civ. App. 136.01. 

RECENT ORDER OPINIONS
March 24, 2025


No Order Opinions Filed.
Opinions released on a day other than the court’s weekly release date will appear on the Special Release Opinions tab. Special release opinions may be precedential, nonprecedential, or order opinions.  

NO SPECIAL RELEASE OPINIONS FILED

Opinion SetsAs of June 1, 2023, the Court of Appeals no longer provides opinion sets in Word Document format and Rich Text Format. Opinions are available in PDF format under the Opinions tabs on this site.

Opinion Sets For Opinions
Filed Monday, March 24, 2025

Opinion Set in a Zipped PDF 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.