As she was ceremonially sworn in Monday as the newest member of the Minnesota Supreme Court, Theodora Gaïtas made Socrates an honorary Minnesotan.
Gaïtas, a Minnesota native and University of Minnesota graduate who grew up in Greece, told those assembled at the Minnesota Historical Center that they all had brought her to this moment. She drew on her heritage, calling it philia, the Greek word for loving friendship. In a more Minnesota vein, she said that good people make good law and that the good people of the state would continue to guide her career.
Gaïtas’ appointment capped what Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan called “an extraordinary moment of transition” for the state’s highest court, with three new justices joining in the last year.
Here’s four things to know about Gaïtas, who was appointed to the Supreme Court in April and officially started in her new role on Aug. 1.
Gaïtas spent 15 years as an appellate criminal public defender before Gov. Mark Dayton appointed her to the Hennepin County District Court bench in 2108. Gov. Tim Walz named her to the Court of Appeals in 2020.
Court of Appeals Judge Keala Ede, who has known Gaïtas for 25 years, noted that only two Minnesota Supreme Court justices before now had ever served as a public defender. He said Gaïtas will bring a perspective that has eluded the court, as nearly half of all justices have been former prosecutors.
“Her firsthand experience with the ways our criminal justice system affects individuals, their families and our communities will assist her in rendering equal justice under the law,” Ede said.
The arrival of Gaïtas and Sarah Hennesy this year returns the Supreme Court to a 4-3 female majority. Minnesota became the first state in the country with a majority of women in 1991 that included Rosalie Wahl, the state’s first female justice, who was referenced several times Monday.
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