Public Notice Detail
District Court Judge Mary Carlson Announces Retirement
Posted: Monday, March 15, 2004
STILLWATER, MN (March 15, 2004) – Washington County District Court Judge Mary E. Carlson has announced her retirement after nearly nine years on the bench. Her retirement will take effect on June 13, 2004.
“I have greatly appreciated the opportunity to serve the citizens of Minnesota as a District Court Judge,” said Judge Carlson of Afton, Minn. “I feel fortunate to have been part of a Judicial Branch that works so diligently to provide fair and impartial access to justice for all.”
Governor Arne Carlson appointed Judge Carlson, 59, to the District Court on July 26, 1995. Voters elected her to the bench in 1996 and 2002.
Prior to her service as a judge, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Minnesota from 1981-1994, where she was Chief of the Civil Division from 1985-1994. She served as Assistant Washington County Attorney from 1978-1981. Judge Carlson graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1967 and received her law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in 1978.
From 1992-1994, she worked on the Civil Litigation Reform Act at the U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota. She has also served as President of the Federal Bar Association, a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association, President of the Washington County Bar Association, and a member of Minnesota Women Lawyers and the Minnesota District Judges Association.
“Judge Carlson has been an excellent judge in all her years on the Tenth Judicial District bench,” said District Court Judge R. Joseph Quinn, chief judge of the district. “We will miss her very much. The citizens of the Tenth Judicial District will be losing an excellent, hardworking judge.”
By statute, the Minnesota Supreme Court will have 90 days to review the vacancy left by Judge Carlson. Once the Court certifies the judgeship, the Commission on Judicial Selection will accept and review applications, and then forward finalists to the Governor for his consideration. The Governor will then appoint a new judge.
About the Minnesota Judiciary
The Minnesota Judicial Branch has seven justices of the Supreme Court, 16 judges of the Court of Appeals and 274 district court judgeships who serve courthouses divided amongst 10 judicial districts. In addition to hearing cases, the Supreme Court oversees the administration of justice in the state. For more information about the court system, visit www.courts.state.mn.us.