ST PAUL, MN—After 12 years on the bench, Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Margaret Chutich announced today that she will step down at the end of the Court’s 2023-24 term.
Chutich was appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton to the Minnesota Court of Appeals in 2012 and to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2016, then elected in 2018. She submitted her retirement letter to Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday, Jan. 16. Her last day on the Supreme Court will be July 31.
Chutich is the first member of the LGBTQ+ community to serve on the high court, but she didn’t realize the impact of her appointment until she met with members of the public. She was touched that so many mothers thanked her for the positive effect her appointment had on their LGBTQ+ children.
Of all her experiences on the court, Chutich’s favorite was traveling to high schools throughout Minnesota to hear oral arguments in real cases. At each event, justices answer student questions and have lunch with a group of kids. The impact of the visits can be profound—both for the students and the justices.
Chutich is the second Supreme Court justice to announce a retirement in the past week. Justice Barry Anderson, who was appointed to the Supreme Court by Gov. Tim Pawlenty in 2004, announced last week that he will retire on May 10.
As for what Chutich plans to do in retirement, she says other retirees have advised her to take six months to figure it out. She intends to heed that advice.
