Minnesota Supreme Court

Minnesota Supreme Court Opinion on Civil Commitment Treatment

The Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed a lower court's decision regarding the administration of involuntary intrusive treatments to civilly committed patients. The court held that the existing Price/Jarvis balancing test adequately addresses the statutory requirement for treatment necessary to preserve life or health.

Lockhart vs. Hennepin County - Tax Court Jurisdiction

The Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed the tax court's decision in Lockhart vs. Hennepin County, ruling that the tax court had subject matter jurisdiction over property tax assessment disputes. The court found that the taxpayer's claims fell within the scope of Minnesota Statutes section 278.01, which provides the exclusive remedy for such matters.

Eugene F. Kelly - Transfer to Disability Inactive Status

The Minnesota Supreme Court has ordered attorney Eugene F. Kelly transferred to disability inactive status, effective February 26, 2026. This order stays pending disciplinary investigations against him, contingent on his petition for reinstatement.

State v. Bonnell - Fourth Amendment Facebook Search

The Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed a conviction, ruling that a sender has no reasonable expectation of privacy in electronic messages stored on a recipient's device. The court also found that while law enforcement's search of the appellant's Facebook accounts lacked temporal limitations, the error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.

State v. Nicholas Firkus - First-Degree Murder Conviction Affirmed

The Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed the first-degree murder conviction of Nicholas James Firkus. The court found sufficient circumstantial evidence to support the conviction and that the district court applied the correct standard when considering motions for judgment of acquittal.