Minnesota's Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson announced she will be retiring.
After leading the state’s judicial branch since 2023, Hudson will officially step down on September 30. Hudson was appointed Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court by Governor Tim Walz (DFL) on Oct. 2, 2023. She first joined the Supreme Court on Oct. 26, 2015, by appointment of Governor Mark Dayton (DFL).
This comes as Hudson, who is 69, approaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 for Minnesota judges.
Hudson made history in the state as the first person of color to lead the state judicial branch and is only the third woman to hold the position.
Walz is expected to release details regarding the selection process for her successor in the coming weeks.
"As Chief Justice Hudson steps away from the bench, she will be remembered not only for the glass ceilings she shattered but for a lifetime of service to those seeking fairness and justice in our courts," the governor wrote on social media Monday.
Speaking to WCCO's Chad Hartman, former Republican Governor for Minnesota, Arne Carlson, said he still supports the mandatory retirement age, and said appointing judges is one of the most important jobs for the state's chief executive.
"Appointments by the governor are terribly important, they truly are," said Carlson, who served from 1991 to 1999 as the 37th governor of Minnesota. "We had a committee that that did the evaluation. It was a professional committee. It was nonpartisan. And they would usually submit a list of about three names and then I would interview the three names and then decide."
Carlson went on to say it is of particular importance now, saying the independence of the court system is vital to the government.
"Particularly in this day and age, for the court to have integrity and independence of its political system," he said. "And the governors have to take responsibility for doing that. Without being overly critical, we don't have that independence now in the United States Supreme Court, and it's extraordinarily disturbing."
Hudson became the first person of color to lead the state's judicial branch when appointed by Gov. Walz in 2023
