Douglas K. Amdahl

Douglas K. Amdahl

Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
In office 1981–1989
Nominated by	Al Quie
Preceded by	Robert Sheran
Succeeded by	Peter S. Popovich
Personal details
Born	January 23, 1919 Mabel, Minnesota
Died	August 24, 2010(2010-08-24) (aged 91) Richfield, Minnesota
Nationality	American
Alma mater	University of Minnesota William Mitchell College of Law

Douglas K. Amdahl (January 23, 1919 – August 24, 2010) was an American lawyer and judge from Minnesota. He served as Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court from December 1981 to January 1989.

Amdahl was raised in the small town of Mabel in southeastern Minnesota. Amdahl served in World War II in the Army's Signals Intelligence Service as a cryptologist within the European theatre. He served as a judge in Hennepin County from 1961 to 1980.^[1]

While chief justice, Amdahl was a leader in establishing the Minnesota Court of Appeals, which was created in 1983. Prior to that, if a person believed a district judge erred in a ruling, the only avenue for appeal was the state supreme court. With a three-year backlog of cases at the time, the creation of the appeals court enabled a quicker resolution to cases and provided additional oversight in the judicial process.^[2]

Amdahl sponsored the construction of the Hennepin County government center located in downtown Minneapolis. As a Hennepin County chief judge, he cut the ribbon, recommended the design of the judicial chambers, and tirelessly campaigned for funding. He also pushed for a new building on the Minnesota Capitol mall to be dedicated to the judicial branch. Once the appeals court was established, it needed a place to work and hear cases. At the time, the supreme court worked in the east wing of the state capitol, but there was no room for additional offices or chambers for the appeals court. The Minnesota Judicial Center was completed in 1992.^[3]

Amdahl also taught at William Mitchell College of Law (where he graduated summa cum laude) and served on its board of trustees.^[4] Amdahl is also related to Gene Amdahl.

Amdahl died on August 24, 2010 at the age of 91.^[5]^[6]

References

External links

Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of Minnesota

Emmett T. Wilson Gilfillan Ripley McMillan Gilfillan Start Brown S. Wilson Devaney Gallagher Loring Dell Knutson Sheran Amdahl Popovich Keith Blatz Anderson Magnuson Gildea

Minnesota Supreme Court Justices

Territorial (1849–1858)	Goodrich Cooper Meeker Fuller Hayner Chatfield Sherburne Welch R. Nelson Flandrau

State (since 1858)	Flandrau Atwater Emmett T. Wilson McMillan Berry Gilfillan Ripley Young Cornell Mitchell Clark Dickinson Vanderburgh Collins Buck Canty Start C. Brown Lovely Lewis Douglas Jaggard Elliott O'Brien Simpson Bunn P. Brown Holt Hallam Schaller Quinn Dibell S. Wilson Stone Hilton Olsen Loring Devaney Olson H. Peterson H. Gallagher Streissguth Pirsig Youngdahl T. Gallagher Magney Matson W. Christianson F. Gallagher Knutson T. Christianson Dell M. Nelson Murphy Loevinger Otis Rogosheske Sheran C.D. Peterson F. Kelly Todd MacLaughlin Yetka Scott Wahl Amdahl Simonett G. Kelley Coyne Popovich Keith Tomljanovich Ogren Page P. Anderson Stringer Blatz Gilbert R. Anderson Ericksen Meyer Hanson G.B. Anderson Gildea Dietzen Magnuson Stras Wright Lillehaug Hudson

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