Elected (nonpartisan)7 justices· 6-year terms· MSC
Chief: Designated by the governor (the governor appoints one justice to serve as chief justice). Justices otherwise face nonpartisan election; midterm vacancies are filled by gubernatorial appointment. Mandatory retirement at age 70..
Adopted 1857. Its declaration of rights sits in Article I (Bill of Rights). This court has the final word on what the Minnesota constitution means.
Interstitial, departs when state-specific factors justify it
How a state reads its own rights provisions relative to the federal floor, lockstep vs departure.
State-court structure and selection methods are from official and reference sources; the justice roster is point-in-time. Civibrief carries each state's highest court (lower state courts are out of scope for now).
