Two new justices will give Minnesota an all-female majority on the Minnesota Supreme Court

Gov. Tim Walz appointed two women to the Supreme Court on Monday, giving the court a female majority for the first time since 1994.

Appellate Court Judge Theodora Gaïtas and Stearns County Chief Judge Sarah Hennesy will fill the seats of retiring Judges Margaret Chutich and G. Barry Anderson, respectively. Both new judges have extensive experience assisting lower-income citizens in criminal, appellate and civil cases.

Walz conducted interviews with six finalists last week. Everyone was informed of their choices on Sunday. The selections mean Walz has appointed four of the seven justices to the court. When Anderson steps down next month, all seven justices will have been appointed by a DFL governor.

In 1991, Governor Rudy Perpich’s appointment of Judge Sandra Gardebring gave the Minnesota Supreme Court a 4-3 women majority. Gardebring joined Judges M. Jeanne Coyne, Esther Tomljanovich and Rosalie Wahl, the state’s first female judge. Appointed in 1977 by Rudy Perpich, Wahl retired in 1994 and ended the female majority – until now.

The governor did not mention the gender of the appointments in his written news release Monday. Instead, he spoke about the experience and qualities of the new judges. Walz said Gaïtas understands the complexities of the system and is “a remarkable jurist who has served at all levels of our judiciary.”

In August 2020, Walz appointed Gaïtas to the Court of Appeal. Previously, she served two years on the Hennepin County District Court as an appointee of Governor Mark Dayton.

The new judge’s longest tenure before joining the Hennepin County bench was as an assistant public defender in the Office of the Minnesota Appellate Public Defender, which handles criminal appeals from across the state for indigent clients. Gaïtas worked in that office from 1998 to 2013.

Cathryn Middlebrook, lead attorney at the state appellate office, said she has long been “in awe of the consummate person that Judge Gaïtas is. Her experience, deep knowledge of the law, and reasoned and compassionate commitment to justice bring an essential perspective to the court. and to the State of Minnesota.”

Walz noted that Gaïtas co-chairs the Tribal Court State Court Forum, a committee that promotes cooperation between tribal and state courts in Minnesota. Gaïtas, 53, will succeed Chutich, a Dayton appointee who plans to leave the court on July 31.

Dayton also appointed Hennesy to the Stearns County court in 2012. Hennesy will succeed Judge G. Barry Anderson, who leaves the court on May 10 after 20 years of service.

Walz said of Hennesy: “Not only is she a brilliant legal mind with extensive legal experience, but she is also a leader who knows how to move the needle toward justice.”

Chutich said in a written statement that she is pleased with Hennesy’s appointment. “She is honest, experienced, compassionate and respectful of everyone who comes before her,” Chutich said. “It’s a great day for the court and for Minnesota.”

Judge Anne McKeig was also effusive, calling Hennesy humble, wise, kind and talented. “Her leadership experience, along with her court savvy, will serve the court well,” McKeig’s statement said.

Before joining the court, Hennesy, 54, was an attorney for six years at Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid in St. Cloud, where he advised low-income residents on civil matters. She also worked in private practice and as a criminal public defender in Alexandria, Virginia, before coming to Minnesota. From 1994 to 1996, she worked at the Iowa State Appellate Public Defender’s Office.

Hennesy holds a BA from Central College in Pella, Iowa, and a JD from Drake Law School in Des Moines.

Gaïtas received both her BA and JD degrees from the University of Minnesota.

The appointments do not require Senate confirmation. The judges will have to run for statewide election, but not until 2026.

Anderson, 69, was the only remaining Republican appointee on the court. In October he will reach the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Walz has now appointed two men and two women to the court. His first appointment was Gordon Moore, a Nobles County judge from Worthington, in May 2020.

Last August, Walz chose Judge Karl Procaccini to fill the seat vacated by the appointment of Judge Natalie Hudson as chief, succeeding Chief Lorie Gildea, who left the bench and is now in private practice.

The process of selecting the two new judges followed the routine path of the Judicial Selection Commission forwarding the six finalists to Walz. Last summer, the governor bypassed the process and interviewed only Procaccini, who served as the governor’s general counsel until last June.

The finalists not selected by Walz were Lisa Beane, senior associate general counsel at the University of Minnesota; Elizabeth Bentley, founder and director of the Civil Rights Appellate Clinic at the U.; Court of Appeal Judge Keala Ede and Liz Kramer, Solicitor General in the Office of Attorney General Keith Ellison.

The court’s seventh judge is Paul Thissen, a former DFL speaker of the Minnesota House appointed by Dayton in 2018.

Hudson will have to retire no later than January 2026 when she turns 70, just as Walz’s term ends.

This is a developing story. Check back regularly for updates.