Peter S. Popovich
Encyclopedia
Peter Stephen Popovich was an American
lawyer
, politician
, and judge
from Minnesota
. He is the only person in the state's history to serve as both Chief Judge
of the Minnesota Court of Appeals
and Chief Justice
of the Minnesota Supreme Court
.
Popovich was born in Crosby, Minnesota
in 1920. He earned degrees from the University of Minnesota
and William Mitchell College of Law
(then the St. Paul College of Law) in 1942 and 1947, respectively. He was in private practice in the Twin Cities
from 1947 to 1983, while also serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives
from 1953 to 1963.
Upon the creation of the state Court of Appeals in 1983, Governor Rudy Perpich
appointed Popovich to be Chief Judge. Perpich elevated him to the Supreme Court in 1987, and named him Chief Justice in 1989. Popovich resigned as Chief Justice in late 1990, having reached mandatory retirement age.
Following his retirement from the Supreme Court, Popovich joined the Minneapolis law firm of Briggs & Morgan. He died in early 1996 at the age of 75.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, and judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
from Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. He is the only person in the state's history to serve as both Chief Judge
Chief judge
Chief Judge is a title that can refer to the highest-ranking judge of a court that has more than one judge. The meaning and usage of the term vary from one court system to another...
of the Minnesota Court of Appeals
Minnesota Court of Appeals
The Minnesota Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court for the state of Minnesota. It began operating on November 1, 1983. It is housed in the Minnesota Judicial Center in St...
and Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Minnesota Supreme Court
Minnesota Supreme Court
The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota and consists of seven members. The court was first assembled as a three-judge panel in 1849 when Minnesota was still a territory. The first members were lawyers from outside of the region who were appointed by...
.
Popovich was born in Crosby, Minnesota
Crosby, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,299 people, 989 households, and 554 families residing in the city. The population density was 755.0 people per square mile . There were 1,081 housing units at an average density of 355.0 per square mile...
in 1920. He earned degrees from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
and William Mitchell College of Law
William Mitchell College of Law
William Mitchell College of Law, or WMCL, is a private, independent law school located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Accredited by the American Bar Association , it offers full and part-time legal education in pursuit of the Juris Doctor degree....
(then the St. Paul College of Law) in 1942 and 1947, respectively. He was in private practice in the Twin Cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
from 1947 to 1983, while also serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives
Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...
from 1953 to 1963.
Upon the creation of the state Court of Appeals in 1983, Governor Rudy Perpich
Rudy Perpich
Rudolph George "Rudy" Perpich, Sr. was an American politician and the longest-serving governor of Minnesota. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, he served as the 34th and 36th Governor of Minnesota from December 29, 1976 to January 4, 1979, and from January 3, 1983, to January 7, 1991...
appointed Popovich to be Chief Judge. Perpich elevated him to the Supreme Court in 1987, and named him Chief Justice in 1989. Popovich resigned as Chief Justice in late 1990, having reached mandatory retirement age.
Following his retirement from the Supreme Court, Popovich joined the Minneapolis law firm of Briggs & Morgan. He died in early 1996 at the age of 75.