Opinion ID: 1613415
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: statutory authority for term extensions.

Text: Prior to 1973, the legislature did not exercise its constitutional authority under article VI, section 9 to provide for term extensions for supreme court justices. [7] In 1973, the Minnesota Legislature adopted the Uniform Retirement and Survivors' Annuities For Judges Act, 1973 Minn.Laws, ch. 744, effective January 1, 1974. A new provision in the 1973 law provided for mandatory retirement of every judge on the last day of the month in which the judge reached age 70. Minn. Stat. §§ 490.121, subd. 12, 490.125 (Supp. 1973). The new law also contained the following section: A judge who was in office on December 31, 1973 and thereafter and who, by the date on which his term expires, would not be eligible to retire with full benefits under statutes in effect on December 31, 1973, may apply to the governor for an extension to serve up to three additional years, stating his intention to retire upon such eligibility. Notwithstanding section 490.125 [the mandatory retirement provision], the governor shall forthwith make a written order accepting such retirement application, and extending the term of office of such judge for such period of time, not exceeding three years, as may be necessary to make such judge eligible for such retirement, solely for purposes of computing benefits hereunder. Minn.Stat. § 490.124, subd. 2 (Supp.1973) (emphasis added). [8] The statutes in effect on December 31, 1973 stated that a supreme court justice, upon reaching the age of 70 and having served two full terms (12 years), or upon reaching the age of 65 and having served 15 years, could receive the following retirement benefits for the remainder of his life: [O]ne half of the compensation allotted to his office at the time of his retirement plus two and one half percent of the compensation allotted to his office at the time of his retirement for each year, not exceeding 10, which he served in his office in excess of two full terms, or the equivalent thereof, on the supreme court   . Minn.Stat. § 490.025, subds. 2, 3 (1971). Justice Yetka was in office on December 31, 1973, and thereafter, and, being over 65 years old and having served more than 15 years as a supreme court justice, is now eligible to retire with some retirement benefits under the statutes in effect on December 31, 1973. The Governor's order, however, made pursuant to the language eligible to retire with full benefits under the statutes in effect on December 31, 1973, extended Justice Yetka's term in order to allow him to enhance the pension benefits to which he is entitled when his current term expires. We reiterate that article VI, section 9 of the constitution allows the extension of a judge's term if he will become eligible for retirement within three years of his current term. [P]rovisions in state constitutions are expressions of limitations on the powers of government. Rice, 488 N.W.2d 241 (citing State ex rel. Mattson v. Kiedrowski, 391 N.W.2d 777, 782-83 (Minn. 1986)). The legislature may not enact a law in derogation of the constitution. See State ex rel. Nordin v. Erickson, 119 Minn. 152, 155-56, 137 N.W. 385, 386 (1912). Specifically, control of the legislature over judges is limited by constitutional provisions. See Sylvestre v. State, 298 Minn. 142, 150, 214 N.W.2d 658, 663 (1973). Accordingly, we must construe the phrase full benefits consistently with the constitutional limitation that a term extension may be granted to allow a judge to attain eligibility for minimum retirement benefits. See State ex rel. Forslund v. Bronson, 305 N.W.2d 748, 751 (Minn.1981) (if there are two possible means of construing a statute, we will adopt the construction that will uphold its constitutionality). Respondents argue that the term limitation provision in article VI, section 9 must be construed in light of the section's first sentence, which constitutes a broad grant of legislative power to provide by law for retirement of all judges. Indeed, we recognize that the intent of article VI, section 9 was to develop a comprehensive plan for the retirement of judges    includ[ing] a method and procedures designed to facilitate the orderly retirement of those individuals who have so ably served this state. Saetre v. State, 398 N.W.2d 538, 541 (Minn. 1986). However, that broad power is expressly limited by the ensuing provision that term extensions are authorized only to allow a judge to become eligible for retirement benefits. We conclude that Justice Yetka became eligible on October 1, 1989 to retire with pension benefits, having served 15 years, and having reached the age of 65. See Minn.Stat. § 490.025, subd. 3 (1971). At that time he was entitled, under laws in effect on December 31, 1973, to apply for and receive retirement benefits. [9] Our conclusion is consistent with this court's decision in Dosland v. State, 288 N.W.2d 691 (Minn.1979). In Dosland, we concluded that a county court judge's disability retirement benefits could be extended beyond his mandatory retirement date since, pursuant to section 490.124, subdivision 2, he would have been entitled to obtain an extension of his term, had he not become disabled. We noted that on December 31, 1976, when the judge's term would have expired, he would have been over 70 years of age; therefore, ordinarily his eligibility for service would have ended on that date. However, we concluded that because the judge would not have been eligible to retire with full benefits on that date under statutes in effect on December 31, 1973, he would have been entitled to apply to the governor for an extension. We stated in Dosland that the judge would not have been eligible to retire with full benefits under statutes in effect on that date because he had not served the 20 years then requisite. Id. at 693. On December 31, 1973, the statutes provided that when a probate court judge reached the age of 70 and had served for 20 years or more, he could receive retirement benefits in the amount of one-half the compensation allotted to his office at the time of retirement. Minn.Stat. § 490.12, subd. 2 (1971). Accordingly, in Dosland, we construed full benefits as the minimum benefits allowable. Respondents point to several prior executive orders that have construed section 490.124, subdivision 2 to allow extensions of judges' terms to allow them to maximize already available retirement benefits. Initially, we note that there is no claim the prior executive orders were ever challenged in the courts. In any event, the legality of those prior orders is not an issue before us, and those orders do not control the case at hand. Our decision today controls the case at hand and is prospective only. To summarize, here petitioner, qualified to seek election to Justice Yetka's seat, has challenged the executive order of Governor Carlson extending the term of Justice Yetka to October 31, 1994, and in doing so, has invoked the original jurisdiction of this court. The Minnesota Constitution in article VI, section 9 makes clear, and we so hold, that an extension of a judge's term should be granted only when it is necessary to permit the judge to serve for the minimum number of years to become eligible for a pension, but the extension should not be granted to permit a judge to maximize or enhance a pension for which the judge is already eligible, and thus avoid an election. The authority of the Governor to act pursuant to section 490.124, subdivision 2 remains unimpaired for application in a proper case. However, under the facts here, the executive order of Governor Carlson extending Justice Yetka's term conflicts with the clear and unambiguous language of article VI, section 9 of the Minnesota Constitution, and the constitution must prevail. Accordingly, we re-affirm our order of August 7, 1992 vacating and nullifying in all respects the executive order by Governor Carlson extending the term of Justice Yetka to October 31, 1994, and directing the Secretary of State, Joan Anderson Growe, to accept the conditional filings of petitioner and others for the Yetka seat, to regularize those filings, and to process the applications as provided by law.