Two candidates are running for a seat on the Minnesota Supreme court.

Michelle MacDonald

Michelle MacDonald received her BA in communications and English from Boston College, and earned her law degree from Suffolk University Law School. She also completed the program of instruction for lawyers at Harvard Law School. She worked as a Conciliation Court Judge in Hennepin County for 22 years.

Personal Rights: I know you have the right to be left alone if you are not harming anyone. I want to eliminate over-regulation of you, your family and your property by lawmakers, law enforcement, attorneys and courts that deprive us. Our liberties with our lives, resources and property provided by the 14th amendment are eroded. We are inhibited in our pursuit of happiness by laws that are not constitutional being enforced by courts that fail to recognize fundamental liberty rights. I am prepared to protect and defend your inherent rights ---those you get by being born, like the air you breathe. I am committed to fundamental liberties, Constitutional rights, and fair treatment of all citizens---children and adults. Many laws don’t pass even the first element of due process ---- clear rules. For instance, did you know that laws have countless definitions of the word “person”? Where is the common sense?

Justice: I am an aggressive crusader for justice. I understand that no one is above the law—not even judges. This brings us to the second element of due process --- government adherence to the rules. I am prepared to ensure accountability and oversight of the system of justice in Minnesota.

Pro-Life: I am pro-life, but I refrain from judging those who may have chosen legal abortion. I am adverse to the multi-millions of tax dollars our government funds to planned parenthood. I am a wife, mother and grandmother. I have been an attorney for adoption agencies for over 20 years. I am an adoptive mother as well.

Second Amendment: Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. We have a constitutional right to bear arms safely in order to protect ourselves, our loved ones and for hunting activities. We cannot and should not rely on our government to protect us. Our laws already do what they can to keep guns away from dangerous people who might misuse them.

Paul Thissen

Paul Thissen is running for Minnesota Supreme Court Justice. He and his wife, Karen, have three children. Thissen graduated from the Academy of Holy Angels and Harvard University and went on to earn his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School. He is currently working as a Supreme Court Associate Justice. He served in the Minnesota House of representatives for 16 years, including one term as speaker of the house.

Values: I believe that justice must be paired with compassion and mercy; an understanding that as humans we are imperfect and worthy of a chance at redemption. I take seriously my oath to uphold the constitution. I’ve written opinions limiting the government’s power to conduct invasive searches without consent and striking down laws that interfere with our First Amendment right to freely express our ideas or that allow the government to take our property through forfeiture.

Experience: Before my appointment to the court, I worked as a lawyer for 25 years, and I always took time to represent clients who could not afford a lawyer. That breadth of legal experience serves me well as I decide a wide range of tough legal issues. Judges and justices should hold themselves to high professional and ethical standards. I have done so in my career. I have never had a complaint of professional misconduct filed against me.

Volunteerism: I have led efforts on an innovative pilot program to allow highly trained legal paraprofessionals to help clients in housing and family law cases. My commitment to access to justice is shown through my extensive volunteer legal work, in organizations like the Minnesota Justice Foundation, Access for Persons with Disabilities, and a sixteen-year legislative career that allowed me to get to know and work with communities in every corner of our state.

Non-Partisan: Minnesotans are often surprised that the Minnesota Supreme Court decides about three in four cases unanimously. No justice is appointed without the recommendation of the Judicial Selection Commission. Minnesota is well served by that culture among its justices and it is important that we continue that tradition. I am not a person who comes to the court with a political, partisan, or personal agenda.