Judge Currently Seated

Keala C. Ede

Minnesota Court of Appeals · Appointed September 11, 2023

Portrait of Keala C. Ede
Education and employment

Education:
J.D., University of California, Berkeley School of Law, 2003
B.A., Occidental College, magna cum laude, 2000

Employment:
Office of the Federal Defender, District of Minnesota, Assistant Federal Defender (2016-2022)
Minnesota Attorney General's Office, Assistant Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (2015-2016)
Orange County Office of the Public Defender, Deputy Public Defender (2010-2015)
American Samoa Office of the Public Defender, Assistant Public Defender (2009-2010)
Robins, Kaplan, Miller, & Ciresi, L.L.P., Associate Attorney (2007-2009)
Cades Schutte, L.L.P., Associate Attorney (2005-2006)
Hawai'i Supreme Court, Judicial Law Clerk to Associate Justice Steven H. Levinson (ret.) (2003-2005)
Professional Memberships:
Bar Admissions: Minnesota, Hawai'i, California, and American Samoa
Bar Memberships: Minnesota State Bar Association, Minnesota Native American Bar Association, Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Minnesota Disability Bar Association, Native Hawaiian Bar Association, American Bar Association, National Native American Bar Association, and National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
Professional Associations: Minnesota District Judges Association and National Disabled Legal Professionals Association
Professional and Community Activities:
Commissioner, Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission
Member, Court of Appeals Equal Justice Committee (Chair, 2024-2025)
Judicial Member, Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Rules of Evidence
Board of Directors Member, Division of Indian Work
Wilder Foundation Meals on Wheels Volunteer Meal Delivery
Additional Information:
2025 Minnesota State Bar Association "Public Lawyer Diversity Award"
2023 Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association “Trailblazer Award”
2021 Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers "Special Achievement Award"
2020 Minnesota Lawyer "Attorney of the Year"
2019 Minnesota Lawyer "Attorney of the Year"

Judicial record

473 opinions where Keala C. Ede sat on the panel, spanning 2023–2026.

161 Majority authored
312 Joined majority

By court

  • Minn. Ct. App. 472
  • Minn. 1

By disposition

  • Affirmed 324
  • Reversed 66
  • Mixed 58
  • Other 17
  • Dismissed 6
  • Remanded 2

Panel votes per year

How Keala C. Ede's panel-seat count has shifted year by year. Overlaid with JaPaul Harris for comparison (drop the overlay).

0 35 70 105 140 175 2023 2024 2025 2026 2023: 19 votes — Keala C. Ede 2024: 174 votes — Keala C. Ede 2025: 140 votes — Keala C. Ede 2026: 140 votes — Keala C. Ede 2024: 84 votes — JaPaul Harris 2025: 151 votes — JaPaul Harris 2026: 157 votes — JaPaul Harris
  • Keala C. Ede
  • JaPaul Harris

Most-frequent co-panelists

Judges who appeared on the same opinions. aligned = same bucket (both majority, both dissent); partial = concurred in result but wrote separately; split = the meaningful disagreement (majority vs dissent).

Recent opinions

15 most recent opinions where Keala C. Ede sat on the panel.

Docket Court Filed Disposition Case
A26-0636 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-10-05 Affirmed In the Matter of the Welfare of the Child of: C. C. H., and H. A. H. S., Parents
A26-0393 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-10-05 Affirmed Jawara M Defreitas v. Theresa Mabel Mallak
A25-1878 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-10-05 Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded In the Marriage of: Svaar David Vinje v. Deborah Lynn Hunsley Vinje
A26-0321 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-09-28 Affirmed County of Hennepin v. Jill Kline Rochford, Ross Edgar Trooien
A25-2000 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-09-28 Affirmed Stephani Martinsen v. Wilbert Alphonso Bettie, A-1 Realty and Investment Trust …
A24-1087 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-09-28 Affirmed State of Minnesota v. Kacey Emmanuel Kamara
A26-0311 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-09-21 Affirmed State of Minnesota v. James Robert Conway
A26-0268 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-09-21 Affirmed Mike Baer v. Kelley Luckey F/K/A Kelley Baer, David Baer
A26-0308 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-09-08 Reversed and remanded State of Minnesota v. Melvin Junior Mitchell
A26-0098 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-09-08 Affirmed Lavell Jacvon Piggie v. State of Minnesota
A25-1988 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-09-08 Affirmed Kyle Reid Labonne v. State of Minnesota
A25-1773 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-09-08 Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded State of Minnesota v. Derrick John Thompson
A25-1686 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-09-08 Affirmed State of Minnesota v. DeCarlos Deion Chopin
A26-0145 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-08-24 Reversed In the Marriage of: Jeanne Mary Mohr v. Jesse David Mohr, County of Rice, Inter…
A26-0049 Minn. Ct. App. 2026-08-24 Remanded In Re the Marriage of: Kushal Rai v. SamJhana Rai