Minnesota Supreme Court denies Minneapolis' request to review judge's order to hire more police officers

The Minnesota Supreme Court has denied Minneapolis’ request to review a Hennepin County judge’s ruling that the city must hire more police officers

In an order filed Tuesday, Chief Justice Lorie Gildea said the court was denying the city’s request for an "accelerated review," which would have allowed the case to bypass the state Court of Appeals. No further details were provided regarding the court’s decision. 

A city spokesperson said the city is "disappointed" with the Supreme Court's decision, but is still pursuing an appeal in the appeals court. 

In July, Hennepin County Judge Jamie Anderson ordered the Minneapolis City Council and Mayor Jacob Frey to "immediately take any and all necessary action to ensure they fund a police force."

The order requires the city to employ at least 730 sworn officers by June 30, 2022, which would fulfill the ratio of residents to police officers currently stipulated in the city charter. 

The ruling came after several residents of Minneapolis’ Hawthorne and Jordan neighborhoods filed a lawsuit against the city over decreased police department staffing levels. 

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