Would You Like More Information ? he judicial system in Minnesota dates back 150 stayed in St. Paul ). Warren E. Burger Federal Building – St.St. PaulPaul T years, when the Minnesota Territory was estab- As was the custom, Judge Nelson “rode circuit” to hear lished by Congress in 1849. The first territorial court cases, first in Preston and St. Paul, later in Winona and St. More information on the history and functioning of the term began on Monday, August 13, 1849, in Stillwa- Paul. Judge Nelson served from 1858 to 1896. Shortly courtcourt isis availableavailable inin thethe officesoffices ofof thethe ClerkClerk ofof CourtCourt inin ter, Minnesota. The Minnesota Pioneer newspaper after his term, in 1902, the Old Federal Courts Building in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Duluth, including a one--hour reported on the event as follows: St. Paul (now the Landmark Center) was completed. A year videovideo presentationpresentation “Portraits“Portraits ofof Justice,”Justice,” whichwhich tellstells thethe later, in 1903, Congress authorized a second judgeship for storystory ofof thethe courtcourt throughthrough interviewsinterviews withwith judgesjudges andand District Court at Stillwater the District of Minnesota. other materials from the court’s archives. Tapes of On Monday, Court was organized in due individualindividual interviewsinterviews withwith judgesjudges areare alsoalso availavailable.able. form, his Honor Judge Goodrich presiding, United States District Court Judge Cooper, by courtesy, also sitting on 316 North Robert Street, #708 the bench. The Grand Jury were called; but St. Paul, Minnesota 55101 no quorum being present, after disposing of some preliminaries, Court was adjourned. Early Cases: Phone: 651--848--1100 Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse -- DuluthDuluth On Tuesday morning a full jury was empan- Real Estate, Railroad Expansion elled and sworn and very ably charged by United States DistrictDistrict CourtCourt and Prohibition 300 South Fourth Street, Suite 202 the Court. The criminal docket was then Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415 called. Most of the defendants were without counsel, which embarrassed proceedings innesota’s transformation from a rough and Phone: 612--664--5000 Honorable Aaron Goodrich considerably. No cases of importance have ready territory to a more settled and organ- come up. The roll of attorneys is large for a M United States District Court ized state was reflected in the cases considered new country. About twenty of the lankiest by the court during the early 1900s. In addition 515 West First Street and hungriest description were in atten- Duluth, Minnesota 55802 to many cases involving real estate disputes, one dance at the bar. People seemed to be of the earlier published decisions, United States v. Phone: 218--529--3500 pleased with the Court so far. Northern Securities Co., 120 F. 721 (D. Minn. 1903), involved a four-judge panel decision apply- Through the nine years of the Territorial Court, ing federal antitrust law to a railroad consolida- U.S. Courthouse – MinneapolisMinneapolis Minnesota’s territorial judges served in a dual tion. The court was also called upon to decide Other Sources of Information : capacity. In addition to holding trials and hear- cases concerning the introduction of liquor into ing motions as district court judges, they assem- Indian territory and, after 1917, on the enforce- History of the United States District Court for the District of bled “en banc” to hear appeals, reviewing their ment of the nation’s liquor laws during Prohibition. Minnesota, publishedpublished inin 19891989 byby thethe BicentennialBicentennial ofof thethe own decisions and perhaps even writing the ap- Honorable David Cooper ConstitConstitution Committee for the District of Minnesota pellate court opinion. The Prohibition cases made the court’s caseload extremely heavy during the 1920s, even though Congress had ap- Robert J. Sheran and Timothy J. Baland, “The Law, Courts, proved a third judgeship, filled by John F. McGee in 1923. andand LawyersLawyers inin thethe FronFrontiertier DaysDays ofof Minnesota:Minnesota: AnAn InformalInformal Judge McGee’s “sentence a minute” effort to dispose of the LegalLegal HistoryHistory ofof thethe YearsYears 18351835 toto 1865,”1865,” 22 Wm.Wm. MitchellMitchell Minnesota Becomes A State: wave of prohibition cases generated a great deal of public- L.L. Rev.Rev. 11 (1976)(1976) The United States District Court is Created ity. At one session of the court, Judge McGee is reported to Paul Maccaee, JJohn Dillinger Slept Here,, MinnesotaMinnesota HistoricalHistorical have imposed 112 sentences in 130 minutes, as sightsee- he United States District Court for the District of Society Press (1995) ing buses were pressed into service to take prisoners to the T Minnesota was established in 1858, in the same jails. ThomasThomas H.H. Boyd,Boyd, “The“The LifeLife andand CareerCareer ofof thethe HonorableHonorable Celebrating 150 years act which created the State of Minnesota. The first JohnJohn B.B. Sandborn,Sandborn, Jr,”Jr,” 2323 Wm.Wm. MitchellMitchell L.L. Rev.Rev. 203203 (1997)(1997) 1849 – 1999 United States District Judge -- Judge Rensselaer Nel- In 1925, the first native Minnesotan, Judge John Sanborn, son -- had served as a territorial judge for a little un- was appointed to the federal court. Judge Sanborn served Scott McCartney, ENIAC: The Triumphs and Tragedies of the der a year before his appointment by President James World’s FirstFirst Computer.Computer. Walker Publishing Co. (1999) until 1932, when he was elevated to United States Court of Buchanan to the federal bench. As a territorial judge, Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. As Judge Sanborn took on TE S D IS Judge Nelson had ruled on a matter of great public A T R ST CI T CherylCheryl W.W. Heilman,”Heilman,”Booker v. Special School District No.1: AA D C his share of prohibition cases, he became an advocate of E T O I U N R U T interest: whether the territorial legislature could move History of School Desegregationegregation onon Minneapolis,Minneapolis, Minnesota,Minnesota, prison farms for bootleggers, so that they might do work United States District Court ““ 1212 LawLaw && InequalityInequality J.J. 127127 (1993)(1993) the capitol from St. Paul to St. Peter (the capitol planting trees instead of “lolling their time away at Leaven- for the District of Minnesota Photographs – MinnesotaMinnesota HistoricalHistorical SocietySociety CollectiCollection Criminal Trials of Gangsters: constitutional challenges to legislative redistricting. Find- (St. Paul), fourth (Minneapolis), fifth (Duluth) and sixth The Roaring ‘20s and Early ‘30s ing serious imbalances in legislative representation due (Fergus Falls) divisions. The first (Winona) and second to the shift in population from rural to urban areas, the (Mankato) divisions have been inactive for some time. worth.” In 1931, the U.S. superintendent of prisons court nonetheless deferred decision on the constitutional The new federal courthouse in Minneapolis, completed in announced the establishment of a federal prison issues to permit the legislature “full opportunity to ‘heed 1997, contains state-of-the-art technology to assist in farm in Sandstone. the constitutional mandate to redistrict.’” Magraw v. multi-defendant, complex trials. he roaring ‘20s and early ‘30s ushered in other, Conscientious Objectors to Treaty Rights: Minnesota federal judges have been at the forefront of T more dramatic criminal trials, including the The Past 30 Years several nationally-recognized innovations for handling prosecution of gangsters like Roger “the Terrible” civil and criminal cases. Judge William Cant, who served Touhy and Arthur “Doc” Barker. Touhy, a rival of Al Donovan, 163 F. Supp. 184 (D. Minn. 1959). from 1923-1933, was instrumental in introducing the Capone, was charged with the kidnapping of William presentence investigation in criminal cases. Judge Ed- Hamm, whose family owned the Hamm’s Brewery in ases involving draft protestors and conscientious ward Devitt, appointed by President Eisenhower in 1954, St. Paul. C objectors were common during the Vietnam War in was the first to use a six person jury by rule of court in Minnesota’s first federal courthouse located in St. Paul , the 1960s. The 1960s also brought increased litigation civil cases. Judge Devitt also co-authored the widely- (now(now thethe LandmarkLandmark Center)Center) openedopened inin 1902.1902. Barker was tried and convicted of a second kidnap- in the areas of civil rights, the right to an abortion, and ping of a prominent businessman, Edward Bremer. enforcement of federal environmental laws. In the early Guarded in jail by machine-gun equipped federal 1970s, parties brought before the court cases concer n- agents, Doc Barker was chained and handcuffed to ing the desegregation of the Minneapolis public schools United States District Court For the District of Minnesota three different agents as he was brought to room and the exclusion of women from high school interscho- 317 of the Old Federal Courts building in St. Paul for lastic athletics. Antitrust cases involving the National trial. Football League and patent cases involving the inventor First Judgeship Second Judgeship Third Judgeship Fourth Judgeship Fifth Judgeship Sixth Judgeship Seventh Judgeship of the modern computer were also presented to the (Auth. 1858) (Auth. 1903) (Auth. 1922) (Auth. 1930) (Auth. 1979) (Auth. 1979) (Auth. 1984) In 1931, Judge Gunnar H. Nordbye, the “Grand Sei- court during this time. | | | | | | | Rensselaer R. Nelson