Gov. Mark Dayton is considering four finalists for a seat on the Minnesota Supreme Court.
The governor will interview the candidates and then make his first appointment to the top state court. The new justice will replace Associate Justice Helen M. Meyer, who will retire Aug. 10.
The Commission on Judicial Selection has forwarded these four candidates to the governor:
- Judge Tanya M. Bransford, a District Court judge in Hennepin County since 1994. Previously she was a District Court referee for Hennepin County’s Juvenile Division.
- Judge Margaret H. Chutich, an at-large judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. She has been an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Minnesota.
- David L. Lillehaug, an attorney with Fredrikson & Byron and former U.S. attorney for the District of Minnesota. He was an attorney for Sen. Al Franken during the 2008 recount and for Gov. Dayton in his 2010 recount.
- Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright, an at-large judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals and former District Court judge in St. Paul.