MinnLawyer Blog

Today’s Minnesota Supreme Court order seeking further information on the rejected absentee ballot is highly unusual in a couple of respects. First of all, any thoughts that the court is not acting as if time is of the essence should be dispelled by the fact that the court has asked for responses and information by tomorrow.

I also cannot remember another instance where the court has ordered for something to be filed outside of business hours (and 9 a.m. on a Saturday the weekend after New Year’s? Unheard of.) It’s fairly obvious the court is treating this as an emergency situation.  

And perhaps rightfully so with the Land of 10,000 Lakes only being assured of having one lone senator in place as Congress prepares to open what easily could be one of its most important sessions since the Great Depression.

It’s a supreme irony that our nonpartisan Supreme Court should find itself at the epicenter of one of the most fierce political struggles our state has ever known. I do not envy the members of the high court as they try to hurry through their high wire act.  I don’t expect the justices will be getting much R&R this weekend.