The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota and consists of seven members. The court was first assembled as a three-judge panel in 1849 when Minnesota was still a territory. The first members were lawyers from outside of the region who were appointed by President Zachary Taylor. The state court system was rearranged in 1858 when Minnesota became a state, and justices are now elected to six-year terms unless a mid-term vacancy occurs, in which case the governor appoints a replacement to finish the term. The court hears cases in the Supreme Court's chamber of the Minnesota State Capitol or in the nearby Minnesota Judicial Center .
As of 2004, the justices are Helen M. Meyer , G. Barry Anderson , Russell A. Anderson , Sam Hanson , Alan C. Page (former Minnesota Vikings great), Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz , and Paul H. Anderson .
Most appeals in the state district court system used to go directly to the Supreme Court, but the Minnesota Court of Appeals was created in 1983 to handle most of those cases. The court now hears about 900 cases per year, although the number was about twice that high before the Court of Appeals was created. Certain types of appeals can go directly to the Supreme Court, such as those involving taxes and workers' compensation.
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