Theodora Gaïtas (born 1970 or 1971)[1] is an American lawyer who has served as a associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court since 2024.[2] She served as a judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals from 2020 to 2024.
Theodora Gaïtas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court | |
| Assumed office August 1, 2024 | |
| Appointed by | Tim Walz |
| Preceded by | Margaret Chutich |
| Judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals | |
| In office August 24, 2020 – August 1, 2024 | |
| Appointed by | Tim Walz |
| Preceded by | John Rodenberg |
| Succeeded by | Elizabeth Bentley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1970 or 1971 (age 53–54) |
| Education | University of Minnesota (BA, JD) |
Education
editGaïtas earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Minnesota in 1991 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1994.[3]
Career
editGaïtas began her career as a law clerk in the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. She also served as a clerk for Judge Robert H. Schumacher of the Minnesota Court of Appeals and was an assistant public defender in the Office of the Minnesota Appellate Public Defender and Bucks County Public Defender's Office. Gaïtas later worked as an attorney at Matonich Law and served as a judge of the Hennepin County District Court from 2018 to 2020.[3]
In May 2020, Governor Tim Walz appointed Gaïtas to serve as a judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals.[4][5] She assumed office on August 24, 2020, succeeding John Rodenberg. On April 22, 2024, Walz announced his intent to appoint Gaïtas to the Minnesota Supreme Court.[6]
Personal life
editGaïtas is the daughter of a Greek immigrant. Born in Minnesota, she spent her childhood in Athens, Greece, and returned to Minnesota for college. She is the widow of Chris Sur, who died in 2023 at age 55; they have a daughter.[7]
References
edit- ^ Ferguson, Dana (April 22, 2024). "Walz appoints Theodora Gaïtas and Sarah Hennesy to Minnesota Supreme Court". The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead.
- ^ "Associate Justice Theodora Karin Gaïtas". mncourts.gov. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ^ a b "Minnesota Judicial Branch - Bio". www.mncourts.gov. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
- ^ "Hennepin County Judge Theodora Gaïtas Named To Court Of Appeals". www.cbsnews.com. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
- ^ "Walz names Hennepin County Judge Gaitas to Court of Appeals". AP NEWS. 2020-05-19. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
- ^ Ferguson, Dana (April 22, 2024). "Walz appoints Theodora Gaïtas and Sarah Hennesy to Minnesota Supreme Court". Minnesota Public Radio.
- ^ Day, Jeff (September 16, 2024). "Four things to know about Theodora Gaïtas, the newest member of the Minnesota Supreme Court". Minnesota Star Tribune.