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About Judge Quinn
Matthew Quinn
Judge Matthew Quinn serves the Seventh Judicial District, which is made up of 10 counties that cross central Minnesota like a banner from Mille Lacs County (Milaca) on the east, to Clay County (Moorhead) on the west. The Seventh Judicial District consists of the counties of Becker, Benton, Clay, Douglas, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Otter Tail, Stearns, Todd, and Wadena. Judges in the Seventh Judicial District are assigned to one home county and may rotate to other counties on a regular or occasional basis. Judge Quinn is assigned to, or "chambered in," Milaca. The District Courts in the Seventh Judicial District are courts of General Jurisdiction, which means that all the judges hear all types of cases and do not specialize in one particular type of case or area of law. Judge Quinn presides in all types of criminal, traffic, civil, juvenile, family, conciliation, and probate court cases. Like every judge in Minnesota, Judge Quinn handles more than four thousand cases every year. Judge Quinn was chosen three times by a merit selection committee for appointment as a district court judge. The third process resulted in appointment to the Mille Lacs County bench in 2017.
Personal
Judge Quinn has been married for 30 years. He and his wife have 4 children and 2 grandchildren. Judge Quinn is an avid outdoorsman, farmer, patriotic American, and active in his local church community.
In his free time, he enjoys trail riding, hunting, fishing, and chatting with his herd of beef cattle.
Appointed / Elected
Appointed by Governor Mark Dayton on Sept. 14, 2017. Elected in 2018. Current term expires Jan. 2025.
Education / Employment History
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J.D. with honors, William Mitchell College of Law, 1999
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B.A., Summa Cum Laude, St. Cloud State University, 1995
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Chief Deputy Stearns County Attorney (2003-2017)
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Adjunct professor, aviation law, St. Cloud State University (2008-2012)
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First Assistant Mille Lacs County Attorney (2000-2003)
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Associate attorney; Barna, Guzy & Steffen (1999-2000)
Professional Memberships
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Central Minnesota Child Advocacy Center Administrative Board
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Minnesota Children’s Alliance Public Policy Committee
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Stearns County Municipal League
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Stearns-Benton Bar Association
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Minnesota State Bar Association
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Stearns County Chiefs of Police Association
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Minnesota County Attorney’s Association
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National District Attorney’s Association
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Stearns County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee
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Founding member, Stearns County Drug Court (training by National Association of Drug Court Professionals)
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Founding member, Stearns County Felony Domestic Violence Court
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Founding team member, Central Minnesota Child Advocacy Center
Professional Licenses
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Minnesota Supreme Court, 1999
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Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training, 1992
Information for this section was obtained from the Minnesota Judicial Branch website.
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The Role of the Judiciary
Article VI of the Minnesota Constitution places the judicial power of the state in the judicial branch.
The branch consists of three levels: a supreme court, a court of appeals, and district courts.
The supreme court primarily reviews the decisions of lower courts and performs a significant administrative role. The supreme court has great discretion in selecting what cases it reviews, and all lower courts must follow the decision of the supreme court.
The court of appeals primarily reviews decisions of the district courts. In most cases, a party that loses a case in district court has a right to appeal the case to the court of appeals. The court of appeals cannot refuse those cases, but can choose whether to designate an opinion as "published" or "unpublished." Only published decisions are binding on the district courts.
The majority of cases, both civil and criminal, begin in the district courts. Those courts hear evidence and make decisions on the facts of the case that the court of appeals and supreme court must generally follow. However, nothing requires the other courts to follow a district court's decision on the law.
Information in this section was obtained from The Minnesota Judiciary: A Guide for Legislators.
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District Court
District courts adopt local rules governing court procedure that are consistent with supreme court rules and statutes.
The district court’s primary role is to hear cases in a variety of areas.
In deciding cases, judges interpret the law and apply it to the facts of the case, rule on the admission of evidence, and decide fact issues when there is no jury.
Information in this section was obtained from The Minnesota Judiciary: A Guide for Legislators.
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