Former Hennepin County Judge James Rogers dies at 96

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Former Hennepin County Judge James Rogers has died. He was 96.

Rogers graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1954. He was a district court judge in Hennepin County District Court for nearly three decades. At one point, Rogers and his father, Judge Harold Rogers, served on the bench together.

During his career, Rogers founded the Forest Landowners Tax Council Board of Directors. Rogers also chaired the Conference of Special Court Judges as well as the ABA Traffic Court Committee. He also was director of the National Traffic Court Seminar for 18 years, as well as vice chair of the Minnesota Judges Association. Rogers was also a member of the Board of Trustees and the Faculty Council at the National Judicial College.

Rogers is also remembered for his largesse. He had bought land with his father for $3,000 in 1957. After receiving an unsolicited offer for the land, he sold it for $365,000. Rogers and his wife, Leanna, then gave to the William Lockhart Scholarship fund to help a law student. They also created a scholarship for veterinary medicine students with career aspirations of helping small animals, and gave to other initiatives across the University of Minnesota campus.

Additionally, Rogers was heavily involved in the community, serving on the Committee on Substance Abuse and the Committee on Housing and Urban Development Law. He also served as ombudsman in ESGR (Department of Defense Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve).

Rogers died on Aug. 30. Services were held on Sept. 11.