OPINIONS OF THE SUPREME COURT

FILED Wednesday, June 9, 2021

NOTICE - MEDIA RELEASE TIME IS 10:00 A.M.

A21-0082        Donna Bergstrom, Appellant, vs. Jen McEwen, Respondent.
                         St. Louis County.
            1.   Appellant was not prejudiced by the delay in providing notice of the election contest to the chief justice, under Minn. Stat. § 209.10, subd. 1 (2020).
            2.   Appellant’s claim asserting a violation of her civil rights under the Voting Rights Act, 52 U.S.C. § 10101, was not asserted in the notice of election contest or before the district court and, therefore, is not properly asserted on appeal. 
            3.   The district court did not err in granting respondent’s motion to dismiss appellant’s election contest, under Minn. R. Civ. P. 12.02, for failure to state a legally sufficient claim upon which relief could be granted. 
            Affirmed.  Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea.
            Took no part, Justices Margaret H. Chutich and Gordon L. Moore, III.


A20-0918        In re Petition for Disciplinary Action Against William Bernard Butler, a Minnesota Attorney, Registration No. 0227912.
                         Supreme Court.
            1.   The referee did not abuse her discretion by reserving the admission of e-mail correspondence that as offered lacked authentication.
            2.   The record supports the referee’s findings of fact and conclusions that respondent violated the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct and Rules on Lawyers Professional Responsibility due to his criminal convictions for willful tax evasion, misuse of an attorney trust account, holding himself out as authorized to practice law while suspended, and failure to cooperate with the Director’s investigation.
            3.   Given the aggravating factors present, an indefinite suspension with no right to petition for reinstatement for 4 years is the appropriate discipline for respondent’s criminal convictions for willful tax evasion, misuse of an attorney trust account, holding himself as authorized to practice law while suspended, and failure to cooperate with the Director’s investigation.
            Suspended.  Per Curiam.


A20-1304        In re Petition for Disciplinary Action against Howard S. Kleyman, a Minnesota Attorney, Registration No. 0056558.
                         Supreme Court.
            Disbarment is the appropriate discipline for an attorney whose misconduct includes misappropriating client funds, knowingly misusing his client trust account to further fraudulent schemes, making knowingly false statements to the Director, and failing to cooperate during the disciplinary investigation.
            Disbarred.  Per Curiam.

 

ORDERS

 
A20-1240        In re Petition for Disciplinary Action against William Kyle Sutor, III, a Minnesota Attorney, Registration No. 0390734.
                         Supreme Court.
            Disbarred.  Justice Natalie E. Hudson.

A20-1484        In re Petition for Disciplinary Action against Brian Scott VanMeveren, a Minnesota Attorney, Registration No. 0393462.
                         Supreme Court.
            Reinstated and placed on probation for 2 years.  Justice Natalie E. Hudson.

A21-0600        In re Petition for Disciplinary Action against Brooks Richard Siegel, a Minnesota Attorney, Registration No. 0397925.
                         Supreme Court.
            Publicly reprimanded and placed on probation for 2 years.  Justice Natalie E. Hudson.


 

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ORDERS ON PETITIONS FOR FURTHER REVIEW

FILED Wednesday, May 26, 2021

(Petitioner indicated in Italic Type)

1.         State of Minnesota vs. Ishmel Barry McReynolds – A20-0373 – Denied
2.         State of Minnesota vs. Donald Albert Strobel – A20-0946 – Denied
3.         State of Minnesota vs. Jessica Katherine James – A20-0207 – Denied
4.         In the Matter of the Petition of Valet Living for a Declaration that Interpretation Titled Corridor Trash Collection
            Service in Group R-2 Issued by the Minnesota Fire Marshal is an Unadopted Rule – A20-0817 – Denied
5.         State of Minnesota vs. Joseph Benjamin Stuckey – A20-0595 – Denied
6.         State of Minnesota vs. Scott Wendlin Linderman – A20-0483 – Denied
7.         State of Minnesota vs. Jesse Lane Urrutia – A20-0178 – Denied
8.         Cheryl Orcutt vs. Jon Crews, et al. – A20-0823 – Denied
9.         State of Minnesota vs. David Devon Bryant – A20-0900 – Denied
10.       State of Minnesota vs. Dane Robert Mullen – A20-0305, A20-0310 – Denied
11.       In re the Marriage of: Adenach Feyyissa Kenea vs. Amsalu Gobena Negera – A20-0153 – Denied
12.       State of Minnesota vs. Cordale Irby – A20-0375 – Granted in part
13.       In re Welfare of H.B., Child – A20-0954 – Granted
14.       State of Minnesota vs. Roy Biggs Henline – A20-0055 – Denied
15.       In re the Marriage of: Helena Koivu vs. Mikko Sakari Koivu – A20-0814 – Denied
16.       State of Minnesota vs. Jordan Antonio Urena-Muro – A19-1652 – Denied
17.       Ellen Kalahar-Grissom vs. Marvin W. Stroschein, et al. – A20-0692 – Denied
18.       Bradley Hammond, et al. vs. Andrew Grengs – A20-0894 – Denied
19.       Devon T. Hogan, et al. vs. William F. Brass – A20-0846 – Denied
20.       State of Minnesota vs. Laurissa Keyair Likness – A20-0108 – Granted in part/Stayed
21.       State of Minnesota vs. Alipio Santiago Veitia – A20-0578 – Denied
22.       Troy K. Scheffler vs. Seth Jacob Sergent Leventhal, et al. – A20-1190 – Denied
23.       Klingelhutz Judgment, LLC vs. John D. Klingelhutz – A19-1894 – Denied
24.       Eric S. Walker vs. Steven D. Walker, Lynn M. Walker – A20-0675 – Denied
25.       In re: Mail Media, Inc., et al. – A21-0400 – Denied
26.       Matthew J. Miller vs. Hollenback & Nelson, Inc., Department of Employment and Economic Development – A20-0927 – Denied
 

Filed May 21, 2021

1.         In the Matter of the Welfare of the Child of: K.K. and K.M.R., Parents – A20-1349, A20-1351– Granted
2.         In the Matter of the Welfare of the Children of: K.E.S., M.W.C., and T.J.S., Parents– A20-1390 – Granted/Stayed