Minnesota Appellate Opinions

Published opinions of the Minnesota Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, collated from public records. 157 opinions matched; showing 1–50.

Filtering by: “civil contempt” Full archive · 1930–present Limit to last 10 years Clear ×
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a250417 Minn. Ct. App. 2025-11-10 Affirmed In the Marriage of: Elizabeth Doree Hanson v. Todd David Hanson
… pellant challenges the denial of her motion to hold respondent in constructive civil contempt of court for failing to pay spousal maintenance. She argues that the district court (1) abused its discretion by granting respondent’s request t …
A231218 Minn. 2024-11-20 Disbarred In re Petition for Disciplinary Action against Madsen Marcellus, Jr., a Minnesota Attorne…
… 3. In June 2013, he was served with discovery requests, notice of trial on the civil contempt relating to the loan modification, and other documents. Further discovery requests were served on Marcellus numerous times thereafter. Despite …
A221727 Minn. 2024-07-31 Reversed and remanded State of Minnesota v. Blair Benedict Oberton
a231246 Minn. Ct. App. 2024-06-17 Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded In re the Marriage of: David Gordon Wingad v. Janet Marie Wingad
a231068 Minn. Ct. App. 2024-05-13 Affirmed in part and reversed in part Kevin James Kleinschmidt v. Angela Rose Farkash
… nd in civil, not criminal, contempt. We affirm the district court’s finding of civil contempt and award of attorney fees to respondent, but we reverse the district court’s imposition of a fine under Minn. Stat. § 588.10. …
a230600 Minn. Ct. App. 2024-01-22 Affirmed John P. Norusis v. City of Marine on Saint Croix
… e, appellant challenges the district court’s order finding him in constructive civil contempt and awarding to respondent the attorney fees it incurred in seeking to bring appellant into compliance with the injunction issued by the distri …
a221117 Minn. Ct. App. 2023-11-27 Affirmed State of Minnesota v. Paul Scott Seeman
… to stand when those in court were asked to do so in 2019, (2) an incident in a civil contempt matter in 2021 when appellant asked the judge if he was held in custody in retaliation for filing a complaint against her with the Board of Judi …
A17-1732 Minn. 2019-03-27 Affirmed Sehlstrom v. Sehlstrom
… § 588.01 , subd. 3(3). "In addressing the limits on a trial judge's exercise of civil contempt powers[,] ... one essential prerequisite is that the prior decree or order of a court sought to be enforced by contempt must clearly define the a …
A16-1323 Minn. Ct. App. 2017-09-25 Modified Johnson v. Johnson
… trict court found that wife had not refinanced the mortgage, ruled her to be in civil contempt of court, and gave her 45 days to purge the contempt by refinancing the mortgage. When wife did not do so, the district court filed a May 2014 or …
A15-2075 Minn. Ct. App. 2017-01-17 Affirmed State of Minnesota v. Matthew Vaughn Diamond
… ne. Diamond refused to comply. On April 3, the district court found Diamond in civil contempt and informed him that 3 compliance with the order would remedy the civil contempt. Diamond prov …
A15-1807 Minn. Ct. App. 2016-12-27 Reversed and remanded In re the Custody of M. M. L. Nathan James Sands v. Sue Mae Lovick, Dakota County
… 00 in arrears. In 2014, Lovick moved the district court to find Sands in civil contempt due to unpaid arrearages. Sands obtained hourly employment from June 2014 until January 2015, when his employment was involuntarily terminated. …
A16-761 Minn. Ct. App. 2016-12-19 Affirmed In re the Matter of: Emily M. Pederson v. Scott H. Meyer
… and the Christmas holidays in 2014. The referee found Pederson in constructive civil contempt for the March 2015 violation. The referee found that Meyer violated the order granting Pederson sole legal custody by keeping the child …
A15-1900 Minn. Ct. App. 2016-09-06 Affirmed In re the Marriage of: Dawn Angela Swenson v. Shawn Anthony Pedri, County of Dakota, inte…
… onable.” Hopp v. Hopp, 279 Minn. 170, 173, 156 N.W.2d 212, 216 (1968). Because civil contempt is intended “to make the rights of one individual as against another meaningful,” the court must be “free to compel performance by methods whic …
A15-1940 Minn. Ct. App. 2016-08-22 Affirmed In re the Marriage of: Anita Jurevica v. Margots Kapacs
… n February, the district court issued an order finding husband in constructive civil contempt for failing to obey the order for temporary relief. It ordered him to serve 180 days in jail, but stayed execution if husband complied with the …
A15-1886 Minn. Ct. App. 2016-08-22 Affirmed Mohrman, Kaardal & Erickson, P. A., f/k/a Mohrman & Kaardal, P. A. v. Gene Rechtzigel, Ge…
… er 21, 2015 final contempt order, the district court clearly held appellant in civil contempt. The underlying proceedings were civil in nature, the contempt order was designed to secure compliance with the district court’s post- judgment …
A15-1864 Minn. Ct. App. 2016-08-15 Affirmed Curtis Trude, (A15-0378), (A15-1863, A15-1864), Glenwood State Bank, counterclaimant, and…
… the Ziegler equipment’s location. At a hearing on November 3 it held Trude in civil contempt and ordered him jailed until he complied with the court’s disclosure order. Finally Trude revealed the location, and a few days later Bud showed …
A15-1684 Minn. Ct. App. 2016-06-20 Affirmed Serena Rae Sullivan v. Robert John Sladek
… motion to modify custody. Respondent moved for a finding that appellant was in civil contempt of court, for a modification of parenting time, and for related relief. Following a hearing on the parties’ motions, the district court …
A15-1588 Minn. Ct. App. 2016-06-13 Affirmed Laura Kay Ellingsworth, Hennepin County v. Moses Wazwaz
… ation. Father fell into significant arrears and was found in constructive civil contempt on February 23, 2007. A stayed sentence of 100 days was put in place with a purge condition of child-support and arrearage payments totaling $5 …
A15-739 Minn. Ct. App. 2016-05-23 Affirmed In re the Matter of: Eric Joseph Vacko v. Teri Ann Shults
… ef that the district court abused its discretion by refusing to hold mother in civil contempt of court. We are not persuaded. A district court has broad discretion to hold a party in civil contempt. Crockarell v. Crockarell, 631 N …
A15-362 Minn. Ct. App. 2016-04-11 Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded Donna Jean Sjolander f/k/a Donna Jean Carlson v. Steven Gary Carlson
… , 538 (Minn. 2010). An appellate court “will reverse the factual findings of a civil contempt order only if [the] findings are clearly erroneous.” Id. (citing Minn. R. Civ. P. 52.01). 7 …
A15-1464 Minn. Ct. App. 2016-04-11 Affirmed In re the Marriage of: Mary Patricia Myhre v. Steven Kenneth Myhre
… he district court held, among other things, that appellant was in constructive civil contempt for failure to pay support in the amount of $74,789.50 and denied appellant’s motion for modification of his child-support and spousal-maintena …
A14-804 Minn. 2016-02-10 Granted In Re Petition for DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST Paul Roland RAMBOW, a Minnesota Attorney, …
… or regarding the unauthorized practice of law. Violations of Court Orders and Civil Contempt During divorce proceedings with his former wife, T.M., Rambow violated court orders and was held in civil contempt. The divorce …
A15-460 Minn. Ct. App. 2016-01-19 Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded In re the Marriage of: David Allen Anderson v. Lisa Marie Anderson n/k/a Lisa Marie Syver…
… In July, mother moved the district court to find father in constructive civil contempt on numerous grounds, including failing to comply with the six-hour right of first refusal, which required a parent to offer the other parent th …
A15-530 Minn. Ct. App. 2015-11-30 Affirmed In re: The Burial of Irina Kurdyumova (Deceased).
A14-2175 Minn. Ct. App. 2015-11-16 Affirmed Jay Nygard v. Penny Rogers
… district court in the City of Orono lawsuit found the Nygards in constructive civil contempt of court for failing to remove the turbine. At trial in this matter, Rogers and Lanpher testified to the wind turbine’s effects on their …
A14-723 Minn. Ct. App. 2015-09-14 Affirmed In re the Matter of: Jill Marie Newstrand v. Jamison Robert Arend
… he court abused its discretion by declining to find respondent in constructive civil contempt of court. We affirm. FACTS Appellant Jamison Arend (father) and respondent Jill Newstrand (mot …
A14-2006 Minn. Ct. App. 2015-08-17 Affirmed In re the Marriage of: Tamara Eileen Goemaat v. Andrew Joel Goemaat
… appellant “never scheduled a show cause hearing on his motion” as required by civil contempt caselaw. This appeal followed. DECISION I. Appellant …
A14-1721 Minn. Ct. App. 2015-07-13 Reversed Analog Technologies Corp. v. Edward Knutson
… it. See Erickson v. Erickson, 385 N.W.2d 301, 304 (Minn. 1986). The purpose of civil contempt is remedial rather than punitive. Mower Cnty. Human Servs. ex rel. Swancutt v. Swancutt, 551 N.W.2d 219, 222 (Minn. 1996). Because our decision …
A14-1656 Minn. Ct. App. 2015-06-15 Affirmed In re the Matter of: A. B. Wayne Belisle v. Yana Verzhbitskaya
… nd interfered with her parenting rights. Respondents soon brought a motion for civil contempt, alleging that appellant had failed to allow respondents their weekend visitation time with A.B. After a hearing on these motions, the district …
A14-1062 Minn. Ct. App. 2015-06-01 Affirmed City of Orono v. Jay T. Nygard
… y of Orono’s zoning code. The district court found them in constructive civil contempt of court for repeatedly refusing to comply with its order to remove the turbine after their legal challenges to Orono’s zoning code failed. The …
A14-693 Minn. Ct. App. 2015-05-26 Reversed and remanded Lynne A. Torgerson v. State of Minnesota
A14-926 Minn. Ct. App. 2015-05-18 Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded In re the Marriage of: Holly v. Anderson v. Derrik T. Anderson
… and child support. Respondent later moved for a finding of constructive civil contempt based on appellant’s continued nonpayment of spousal maintenance, an order for judgment on his unpaid spousal maintenance (offsetting her unpai …
A14-1517 Minn. Ct. App. 2015-04-13 Affirmed Coco's Heart Dog Rescue v. Ann Marie Hawthorne
… rict court erred by designating the proceeding as one involving a constructive civil contempt, instead of constructive criminal contempt, and, in doing so, failed to provide her with the required procedural safeguards. Because the distric …
A14-265 Minn. Ct. App. 2015-03-16 Affirmed State of Minnesota v. Donald Robert Edwardson
… gistration period was erroneously extended to 2026 due to his incarceration for civil contempt. At trial, the state admitted that this extension was erroneous and that the proper termination date is 2019. …
A14-1399 Minn. Ct. App. 2014-12-29 Affirmed State of Minnesota v. Miranda Lynn Jones
… N.W.2d 825 (1967)). See Tatum, 556 N.W.2d at 544 n.2 (adopting “remedial” for civil contempt and “punitive” for criminal contempt). “The sanction is inflicted primarily as punishment for the past disrespectful or contumacious conduct an …
A13-2298 Minn. Ct. App. 2014-11-17 Reversed and remanded Harold B. Kaeding v. Monica S. Soleta, f/k/a Monica S. Kaeding, f/k/a Monica S. B. Jurupe…
… acious.2 And in October 2011, the district court found Kaeding in constructive civil contempt for failing to make a single payment to Soleta since the court’s November 12, 2009 order, and failing to sell the home as ordered. Kaeding’s 90 …
A13-2280 Minn. Ct. App. 2014-09-15 Affirmed In re the Marriage of: Dawn Marie Mondus Loger v. Cory Scott Loger
… d.” In January 2013, the district court found appellant in constructive civil contempt of court for his failure to pay child support or to comply with the district court’s September 10 order to respond to respondent’s interrogator …
A13-1661 Minn. Ct. App. 2014-08-25 Reversed Peter Wells Fischer v. Gene A. Rechtzigel
… Minn. 489, 491 n.1, 245 N.W.2d 204, 205 n.1 (1976) (noting that the purpose of civil contempt “is to coerce performance by the contemnor so as to effectuate a remedy given to a private party, whereas criminal contempt’s purpose is to vin …
A11-2319 Minn. 2014-08-13 Affirmed State of Minnesota v. Antoine Rumel Little
… d.2d 452 (2011) (noting that states may provide fewer procedural protections in civil contempt cases than in criminal cases). Additionally, we have recognized that when defendants decide whether to waive their right to a jury trial they con …
A13-1363 Minn. Ct. App. 2014-08-11 Affirmed In re the Marriage of: Martha Jean Abbott v. James William Abbott Ladner
… approval of such conduct by providing that such conduct may subject a party to civil contempt proceedings and imprisonment. See Minn. Stat. § 588.01, subd. 3(3) (2012) (providing that a court may find a person in civil contempt of court f …
A13-1375 Minn. Ct. App. 2014-07-14 Affirmed In re the Marriage of: Jonathan Conneely v. Hannah Stancek, f/k/a Hannah Conneely
… dence from a parallel custody proceeding, by holding appellant in constructive civil contempt for failure to pay custody evaluation fees, or by denying appellant’s motion for need-based attorney fees. …
No. A12-0071 Minn. 2014-02-12 Denied State v. Nelson
… edly attempted to recover child support from Nelson, whom the court has held in civil contempt on multiple occasions due to his refusal to pay child support. As of April 2008, Nelson owed $83,470.27 in child support. The State charged Nelso …
No. A12-1518 Minn. Ct. App. 2013-05-06 Reinstated State ex rel. Commissioner of Human Services v. Buchmann
… ld him in contempt. In April 2005, the district court found him in constructive civil contempt for nonpayment of support. Respondent’s driver’s license had been suspended for nonpayment of child support. The district court noted that respon …
No. A12-1549 Minn. Ct. App. 2013-04-29 Dismissed Thole v. Commissioner of Public Safety
… ppointed legal counsel in some civil proceedings, such as paternity actions and civil contempt cases. See Hepfel v. Bashaw, 279 N.W.2d 342, 348 (Minn.1979) (paternity actions); see also Cox, 355 N.W.2d at 402 (civil contempt). In Hepfel , t …
No. A12-0071 Minn. Ct. App. 2012-12-10 Affirmed State v. Nelson
… payments, all involuntary. During that period, appellant was repeatedly held in civil contempt and jailed on several occasions for his failure to pay support. In January 2002 and October 2004, the state charged appellant with felony nonsupp …
No. A11-1632 Minn. Ct. App. 2012-07-30 Affirmed Marriage of Zaldivar v. Rodriguez
… eir young daughter. In *190 2011, the district court held the former husband in civil contempt of court for his failure to pay child support and ordered him to serve 90 days in the county jail unless he satisfied certain purge conditions. O …
No. A10-332 Minn. Ct. App. 2012-06-11 Granted McCaughtry v. City of Red Wing
… rative warrants for housing inspections were properly issued and enforceable by civil contempt. In re Search Warrant of Columbia Heights v. Rozman, 586 N.W.2d 273, 275-76 (Minn.App.1998), review denied (Minn. Jan. 21,1999). Appellants argue …
A07-2401 Minn. 2010-09-23 Granted State v. Morales
… Id. at 118 , 100 S.Ct. 948 . Apfelbaum still refused to testify and was held in civil contempt. Id. at 118 n. 4, 100 S.Ct. 948 . After 6 days of confinement, he relented and testified. Id. at 118 n. 4, 100 S.Ct. 948 . The government later c …
A09-80 Minn. 2010-05-14 Affirmed In Re the Welfare of S.L.J.
… ed, it was therefore acting in accordance with the law and could not be held in civil contempt. Although the limited record before us does not include a transcript of the show-cause hearing, it appears that the parties agreed that the distr …
A09-1146 Minn. 2010-05-14 Granted In Re the Welfare of J.B.
… parents, the district court held the county auditor and county commissioners in civil contempt. The County appealed the order for civil contempt and sought accelerated review, which we granted. The questions presented on appeal involve whet …