Saint Paul, MN - Governor Mark Dayton announced today commencement of a process to fill a vacancy on the Minnesota Court of Appeals, for the Seventh Congressional District, created when The Honorable Roger M. Klaphake reaches mandatory retirement under state law this summer.

Governor Dayton has asked the Commission on Judicial Selection to aid in the review and selection process for all Minnesota Court of Appeals vacancies. The At-Large members of the Commission will consider applications and offer recommendations to Governor Dayton. The Commission on Judicial Selection and Governor Dayton are committed to seeking out individuals who possess great integrity, legal knowledge, experience and a sense of fairness.

The application process is now open for this vacancy. Applicants must have resided in the Seventh Congressional District established by the 2000 U.S. Census Bureau for at least one year. The Seventh Congressional District includes a broad range of cities such as Alexandria, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Marshall, Montevideo, Moorhead, Red Lake Falls, Redwood Falls and Willmar.

An individual wishing to apply may request an application by writing to Lee E. Sheehy, Chair of the Commission on Judicial Selection, at 130 State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55155, or by contacting Tiffany Orth, Appointments Coordinator, via e-mail at tiffany.orth@state.mn.us. The application deadline is Friday, April 27, 2012.

For inquiries concerning the application process, please contact Tiffany Orth at tiffany.orth@state.mn.us or at (651) 201-3413. More information on Governor Dayton's Judicial Selection Committee, as well as the vacancies it is currently considering, can be found at http://mn.gov/governor/appointments/judicial.jsp.