Peter Stephen Popovich (November 27, 1920 – March 29, 1996) was an American

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

, politician, and

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

from Minnesota. He is the only person in the state's history to serve as both

Chief Judge A chief judge (also known as presiding judge, president judge or principal judge) is the highest-ranking or most senior member of a lower court or circuit court with more than one judge. According to the Federal judiciary of the United States, th ...

of the

Minnesota Court of Appeals The Minnesota Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It began operating on November 1, 1983. Jurisdiction The Court of Appeals has jurisdiction over most appeals from the state trial courts, includ ...

and Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Early life and education

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.

Career

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.

Death

He died in early 1996 at the age of 75.

External links

The Judicial Career of Peter PopovichChief Justice Peter Popovich Obituary - Minneapolis Star-Tribune: March 30, 1996Peter S. Publications - Popovich, Associate Justice, 1987-1989; Chief Justice 1989-1990Minnesota State Law Library: Peter S. Popovich
{{DEFAULTSORT:Popovich, Peter Stephen 1920 births 1996 deaths People from Crosby, Minnesota University of Minnesota alumni William Mitchell College of Law alumni Minnesota lawyers Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Chief Justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court Minnesota Court of Appeals judges Minnesota state court judges 20th-century American judges 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American lawyers