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Gov. Mark Dayton is getting another chance to fill a vacancy on the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Associate Justice Christopher J. Dietzen notified the governor this week that he plans to resign effective Aug. 31.  Dayton, a Democrat, is now in a rare position to appoint his fourth justice on the seven-member court.

Dietzen just turned 69 and won’t reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 until March 2017. But in order to keep working until then, he would have to run for and win re-election in November.

“I’m not going to run for office again to serve two months of a six-year term,” Dietzen said. "Under the circumstances, I think resigning and giving the governor the right to exercise the power to appoint is in the best interest of the judicial branch and the citizens of Minnesota.”

Dieten has served on the state Supreme Court since February 2008. Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty appointed him in November 2007. Dietzen previously served on the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Dietzen is a member of the Minnesota Judicial Council, which is the policy-making body of the Minnesota Judicial Branch. He also currently serves as the chair of the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission. He said he wants to continue that commission work, if possible, after he leaves the court.

“We started some work in drug sentencing reform, and I want to see that to completion, I hope,” he said.

Dayton issued praised Dietzen’s service.

“Justice Dietzen’s contributions to justice and jurisprudence will have a lasting impact on our state,” Dayton said. “On behalf of all Minnesotans, I thank him for his dedicated service. As Justice Dietzen concludes his service on the Court, the Judicial Selection Commission and I will give careful consideration to his replacement.”

Other Dayton appointees currently on the court are Associate Justices Margaret Chutich, Natalie Hudson and David Lillehaug. One of his appointees, Wilhelmina Wright, recently left to become a U.S. District Judge.

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Tim Pugmire

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Associate Justice Christopher J. Dietzen notified the governor this week that he plans to resign effective Aug. 31.

Dietzen to step down from Minnesota Supreme Court

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