Paul Thissen
Non-Partisan | Minnesota
Candidate Profile
Activist
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Paul Thissen
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2020
Election
General
Race
Supreme Court (Thissen seat)
Incumbent
Yes
Links
EDUCATION
Candidate did not provide
WORK & MILITARY
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AFFILIATIONS
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POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
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POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
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Race
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (9)
Amy Klobuchar (2010)
Angie Craig (2016)
Barack Obama (2013)
Betty McCollum (2010)
Dean Phillips (2017)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (16)
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (2010)
American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (2017)
American Federation of Teachers (2017)
Inter Faculty Organization (2013)
International Association of Firefighters (includes national, state & local affiliates) (2017)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
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The Ten Commandments should not be displayed in public school buildings or court houses.
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What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
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VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
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George Washington's comment that “Religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society” is still true today.
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Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
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In light of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Bostock v. Clayton County, which justice’s opinion most closely aligns with your opinion of whether the protections of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 should be extended to the LGBTQ community?
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What types of pro bono work have you done?
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ABOUT YOU
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
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When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and immigration, which of the following best describes you overall?
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Please provide publicly available information validating your answer to the previous question.
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What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
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In what areas of law have you practiced?
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Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
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Why should the voters choose you?
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Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
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JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
The U.S. Constitution and my state constitution should be interpreted as living documents, rather than using a strict constructionist or originalist approach in judicial decisions.
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There are times when American judges should alter U.S. case law in order to comply with foreign case law.
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Which current U.S. Supreme Court justice best reflects your judicial philosophy?
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What is the proper use of legislative history in interpreting statutory law?
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What possibilities should a judge exhaust before departing from precedent?
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iVoterGuide Notes:
Justice Thissen joined a unanimous Minnesota Supreme Court to abolish a common-law prohibition on champerty. The Court recognized that “[t]he common law’s disapproval of champerty and maintenance traces back many centuries,” but says that “[o]ur review of changes in the legal profession and in society convinces us that the ancient prohibition against champerty is no longer necessary."
How should a judge determine which rights are protected by the Constitution even though they are not specifically mentioned?
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