Minnesota Judicial Branch Logo
NOTICE: The Minnesota Judicial Branch website will move to a new content management system on Tuesday, July 1. You may need to update any bookmarked pages after this date.

Court of Appeals Opinions

GovDelivery SubscribeSign up to receive updates

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, June 30, 2025


No Precedential Opinions Filed.
Nonprecedential OpinionsNonprecedential opinions (formerly called "unpublished opinions") are typically issued in cases that do not contain issues of first impression or involve the application of established law to the particular set of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, June 30, 2025

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


1.   A24-1007  
      State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Stacie Lynn LaClaire, Appellant.
      Affirmed. Judge Kevin G. Ross.
      Rice County District Court, Hon. Karie M. Anderson.

2.   A24-1229
      Betsy Meredith Baldwin and On Behalf of Minor Child(ren), petitioner, Appellant, vs. Stephen Eric Baldwin, Respondent.
      Reversed and remanded. Judge Francis J. Connolly.
      Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Laura Marie Thomas.

3.   A24-0979
      State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Teresa Marie Massey, Appellant.
      Affirmed. Judge Matthew E. Johnson.
      Pope County District Court, Hon. Melissa Listug.

4.   A24-1310
      State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Anthony Jabri Santos, Appellant.
      Affirmed. Judge Louise Dovre Bjorkman.
      Dakota County District Court, Hon. David L. Knutson.

5.   A24-1270
      State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Ali Dayib Warsame, Appellant.
      Affirmed. Judge Louise Dovre Bjorkman.
      McLeod County District Court, Hon. Jody L. Winter.

6.   A25-0086
      State of Minnesota, Appellant, vs. Todd Clifford Bowlby, Respondent.
      Reversed and remanded. Judge Peter M. Reyes, Jr.
      Mille Lacs County District Court, Hon. Mark Herzing.

7.   A24-1767
      Deanna M. Kortan, Appellant, vs. St. Louis Park Hockey Boosters, also known as St. Louis Park Hockey Association, Respondent.
      Affirmed. Judge Tracy M. Smith.
      Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Bridget Sullivan.

8.   A24-1680
      In the Matter of the Welfare of the Children of: J. V. Z., Father.
      Affirmed. Judge Diane B. Bratvold.
      Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Robyn A. Millenacker.

9.   A24-1324
      State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Joseph Maurice Chouinard, Appellant.
      Affirmed. Judge Diane B. Bratvold.
      St. Louis County District Court, Hon. Bhupesh R Pattni.

10. A24-0833
      State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Nashid Asmir Abdul-Zahir, Appellant.
      Affirmed. Judge Diane B. Bratvold.
      Steele County District Court, Hon. Joseph A. Bueltel.

11. A24-1487
      Charles Andrew Herold, Appellant, vs. Grande Market Place Limited Partnership, Respondent, Building Maintenance Management, Inc.,
      Respondent.
      Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded. Judge Jeanne M. Cochran.
      Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Lois R. Conroy.

12. A24-1593
      Keith J. Unger, Appellant, vs. Crow Wing County, Respondent, Nelson Preserve, Respondent.
      Reversed and remanded; motion denied. Judge Randall J. Slieter.
      Concurring in part, dissenting in part. Judge Michael L. Kirk.*
      Crow Wing County District Court, Hon. Charles D. Halverson.

13. A24-1282, A24-1331
      Tyler Timberlake, Respondent, vs. Brian O'Hara, Defendant (A24-1282), Appellant (A24 1331), City of Minneapolis, Appellant (A24-1282), Defendant
      (A24-1331).
      Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded. Judge Randall J. Slieter.
      Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Karen A. Janisch.

14. A24-1091
      State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Keyonte Devon McDowell, Appellant.
      Reversed. Judge Randall J. Slieter.
      Dakota County District Court, Hon. Stacey E. Sorensen Green.

15. A24-1073
      State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Emanuel Joseph Mash Babineaux, Appellant.
      Affirmed. Judge Sarah I. Wheelock.
      Anoka County District Court, Hon. Suzanne Brown.

16. A24-0415
      State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Rigoberto Izucar Espitia, Appellant.
      Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded. Judge Sarah I. Wheelock.
      Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Michael E. Burns.

17. A25-0073
      In the Matter of the Civil Commitment of: Mustaf Nur Jama.
      Affirmed. Judge Elise Larson.
      Hennepin County District Court, Hon. William H. Koch.

18. A24-1559
      Vangyi Chongtoua, Relator, vs. Bdote Learning Center, Respondent, Department of Employment and Economic Development, Respondent.
      Affirmed. Judge Elise Larson.
      Department of Employment and Economic Development.

19. A24-1237
      Roberta Jo Nickel, petitioner, Appellant, vs. Joshua Peter Nickel, Respondent, County of Cottonwood, Respondent.
      Affirmed. Judge Elise Larson.
      Cottonwood County District Court, Hon. Christina M. Wietzema.

20. A25-0038
      Lauren Strahan, Appellant, vs. Josh Boone, Respondent, Prime Comms Retail, LLC, Respondent, AT&T Mobility II, LLC, Respondent.
      Affirmed. Judge Jon Schmidt.
      Blue Earth County District Court, Hon. Mark Edward Betters.

21. A24-1880
      State of Minnesota, Appellant, vs. Hardy Mondelus Galette, Respondent.
      Affirmed. Judge JaPaul J. Harris.
      Sherburne County District Court, Hon. Walter Kaminsky.

22. A24-1162
      Raymond Semler, Appellant, vs. Susan Johnson, et al., Respondents.
      Affirmed. Judge JaPaul J. Harris.
      Carlton County District Court, Hon. Eric Hylden.

23. A24-1126
      State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Lawrence Edward Walker McDowell, Appellant.
      Affirmed. Judge Michael L. Kirk.*
      Hennepin County District Court, Hon. John Lucas.

24. A24-0895
      State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Win Naing Aung, Appellant.
      Affirmed. Judge Michael L. Kirk.*
      Ramsey County District Court, Hon. Timothy Carey.

25. A24-1046
      State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. Danielle Marie Tarbuck, Appellant.
      Affirmed. Judge Denise D. Reilly.*
      Itasca County District Court, Hon. Heidi M. Chandler.

26. A24-0989
      Hibaq Diriye Abdi, petitioner, Respondent, vs. Said Somane, Appellant.
      Affirmed in part, reversed in part and remanded. Judge John P. Smith.*
      Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Charlene Hatcher.

* 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
June 30, 2025


1.   A24-1923
      Dean Richard Peterson, petitioner, Appellant, vs. State of Minnesota, Respondent.
      Reversed and remanded. Judge Peter M. Reyes, Jr.
      Redwood County District Court, Hon. Patrick R. Rohland.

2.   A24-1806
      Patrick R Vaughn, Appellant, vs. Steven Tomasko, et al., Respondents, Minneapolis Police Officers, Respondent, Cedar Towing, Respondent.
      Affirmed. Judge JaPaul J. Harris.
      Hennepin County District Court, Hon. Joseph R. Klein.
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, June 30, 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.