Associate Justice Gildea was appointed to the Court by Governor Tim Pawlenty on January 11, 2006 to fill the vacancy caused by appointedment of Associate Justice Russell Anderson to Chief Justice on January 10, 2006. Gildea was a resident of Minneapolis, former Fourth Judicial District Judge, and former prosecutor in the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. Governor Tim Pawlenty appointed Gildea Chief Justice on July 1, 2010 to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Chief Justice Eric Magnuson on June 30, 2010 to return to private practice. Governor Pawlenty appointed David Stras to fill the vacancy for Gildea's seat on July 1, 2010. Stras was a resident of Minneapolis and professor at the University of Minnesota Law School.
Hedlund was an attorney from Minnetonka and Fourth Judicial District Judge.