Appellate judges mingle in New Ulm

MSBA hosts

meet, greet

at Lind House

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Alan Page looks like he could still race past National Football League offensive linemen.

Instead, he runs several miles a day, often with his wife, son Justin and other siblings in Minneapolis. Page only recently began lifting weights.

He didn't run the Twin City Marathon last weekend, although Page lives at the 2.3 mile mark on the route in Minneapolis. Instead, he played "Whistle While You Work," on his tuba as the runners ran by.

Page and other Minnesota Court of Appeals judges met Saturday at the Lind House at Center and State Street. Later in the afternoon, they walked downtown and enjoyed Oktoberfest.

Page still races a few 5ks per year with his son Justin, who is a lawyer.

Page admits he doesn't follow a strict diet. His favorite soft drink is Buddy's, made at Schell's Brewery in New Ulm.

"Some people say I drink too much of it, but it's awful good," Page said.

An All-America at Notre Dame in 1966, member of two national championship teams, a 6-time NFL All-Pro and 1971 NFL Player of the Year with the Vikings, Page is now a Minnesota Court of Appeals Judge.

Most of his time is spent reading cases and writing opinions. It's a passion he's had since he became a judge.

"Everything we (appellate judges) do is memorialized," said Page. "It takes quite a bit of time, but I've loved it since the first day."

His hobbies are reading and antique toy truck collecting.

For Judge David Minge, the shift from the U.S. House to becoming an appellate judge after losing his campaign for a fifth term in Congress to Mark Kennedy in 2000, meant moving from his rural Montevideo home to near Macalester College in St. Paul.

MInge said appellate judges review about 2,000 cases each year involving every type of district court and administrative agency except tax court cases. Judges are appointed to three-year terms and elected to six-year terms.

Minnesota appellate judges cannot contribute to political campaigns and are supposed to stay out of politics. They are to decide facts in cases according to existing laws, not politics, which is done in southern states like Mississippi and Texas, Minge said.

"It's very low-key, but interesting work," Minge said. "Your goal is not to make a name for yourself, but get work done.

A former Brown County District Court Judge Terri Stoneburner became an appellate judge in 2000.

In Brown County, she established an inter-disciplinary judicial advisory committee to improve delivery of all court-related services to families and children and a Teen Court. She was awarded the Minnesota District Judges' Association Distinguished Service Award in 1999.

A former Peace Corps volunteer, she backpacked around the world twice, including travel in China and Russia and enjoys hiking, biking, hunting, motorcycling, quilting and a book club.

Natalie Hudson was a former St. Paul city attorney. She served as an Assistant Attorney General before becoming an appellate court judge in 2002.

Fritz Busch can be e-mailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.