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Related: Lawsuit Against Minnesota DHS Can Go Forward
On December 4, 2015, Governor Mark Dayton announced two significant appointments to the Minnesota Court of Appeals, filling at-large vacancies created by the elevation of Natalie E. Hudson to the Minnesota Supreme Court and the retirement of John P. Smith, effective February 2, 2016.
Related: Case: Jensen v. Minnesota Department of Human Services
Key Appointments
Lucinda E. Jesson
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Position: Former Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), appointed by Governor Dayton in 2011 Minnesota Legislature.
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Scope of Responsibility: Oversaw a $36 billion budget, managed 6,200 state employees, and guided programs serving over one million Minnesotans Minnesota Legislature.
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Background: Previously served as Associate Professor of Law at Hamline University, partner at Oppenheimer, Wolff & Donnelly, LLP, Chief Deputy County Attorney for Hennepin County, and Deputy Attorney General in the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office Minnesota Legislature.
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Leadership Roles: Served on several key state initiatives—including the Olmstead Subcabinet, Children's Justice Initiative, Interagency Council on Homelessness, Task Force on Health Care Financing, and Governor’s Task Force on Child Protection Minnesota Legislature.
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Education: Holds a BA from the University of Arkansas and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School Minnesota Legislature.
Note: Jesson's judicial profile states the following:
"Judge Jesson served as Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services from January 2011 to December 2015. In that role, Commissioner Jesson managed a $12 billion annual budget, 6,200 state employees, and state programs serving more than one million Minnesotans." While the Minnesota state legislator claims Jesson over saw a budget of $36 billion dollars. The $24 billion discrepancy posted on official state websites by state employees is not lost on us, because it involves experiencing and reporting the criminal conduct of the DHS-employed workforce—who disqualify and falsely bill for medical access that is neither documented as needed nor delivered under the full knowledge of multiple decades of commissioners—while our bodies physically deteriorate and three generations of lives are irreparably cut short. Despite “thousands” of complaints, no investigation has been conducted, and retaliation, which poses a danger to life, continues into its 22nd year. This brings us to the Internally Displaced Person exposé, as local zoning and housing authorities are enlisted to punish whistleblowers and prevent them from escaping the state of Minnesota for urgent surgical intervention of their injuries, leaving them homeless and hunted.
Related: Just Plain Wrong, the MN DHS Abuse Which Resulted In $3 Million Dollar Settlement and Olmstead Commitments (HBCB Waiver)
Tracy M. Smith
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Position: Deputy General Counsel at the University of Minnesota, responsible for overseeing litigation in state and federal courts across a broad range of legal matters
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Professional Experience: Former Associate General Counsel at the university, and Assistant Attorney General. In the AG’s office, she handled consumer fraud cases, antitrust investigations, and criminal appeals, and clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
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Community Involvement: Actively volunteered within the Minneapolis Public Schools system—participating at Southwest High School, the Advisory Committee on Global Languages, the Minneapolis Kids Advisory Board—and taught English to language learners with Neighborhood House in St. Paul
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Education: Earned her BA, cum laude, from Georgetown University and her JD, magna cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School
Governor Dayton’s Remarks
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On Jesson: “Lucinda Jesson has done a superb job managing Minnesota’s largest state agency … her impeccable qualifications … speak for themselves.”
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On Smith: “Throughout her career, Tracy Smith has managed an impressive variety of complex legal issues … I am confident she will be an exceptional judge.”
Contact & Context
The press release originated from the Office of the Governor’s Newsroom and included contact information:
Office of Governor Mark Dayton
130 State Capitol
75 Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155
Summary
This strategic announcement reflected Governor Dayton’s emphasis on elevating seasoned leaders with strong legal and administrative experience to the judiciary. Lucinda E. Jesson brought deep operational expertise from her tenure at DHS, while Tracy M. Smith contributed a strong litigation and academic background—both reinforcing the Court of Appeals with distinguished public servants.
1. Office of Governor Mark Dayton. (2015, December 4). Governor Dayton appoints Lucinda E. Jesson and Tracy M. Smith to Minnesota Court of Appeals [Press release]. Office of the Governor, State of Minnesota.
https://www.leg.mn.gov/docs/2018/other/181224/governor/newsroom/indexe581.htm
2. Minnesota Department of Human Services. (n.d.). About the Department of Human Services. Minnesota.gov. https://mn.gov/dhs/general-public/about-dhs/
3. University of Minnesota. (n.d.). Office of the General Counsel: Meet our team. regents.umn.edu. https://regents.umn.edu/general-counsel
4. Minnesota Judicial Branch. (n.d.). Court of Appeals judges. https://www.mncourts.gov/About-The-Courts/Overview/JudicialDirectory.aspx?c=COA
5. Minnesota House of Representatives. (n.d.). Children's Justice Initiative overview. https://www.house.mn.gov/hrd/pubs/cji.pdf
6. Minnesota Governor’s Office. (2015). Governor’s Task Force on the Protection of Children: Final report. https://www.leg.mn.gov/docs/2015/other/150681.pdf
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