Peter Popovich

Who was Peter Popovich?

Peter Stephen Popovich was an American lawyer, politician, and judge from Minnesota. He is the only person in the state's history to serve as both Chief Judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals and Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Popovich was born in Crosby, Minnesota in 1920. He earned degrees from the University of Minnesota and William Mitchell College of Law in 1942 and 1947, respectively. He was in private practice in the Twin Cities from 1947 to 1983, while also serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1953 to 1963.

Upon the creation of the state Court of Appeals in 1983, Governor Rudy Perpich appointed Popovich to be Chief Judge. Perpich elevated him to the Supreme Court in 1987, and named him Chief Justice in 1989. Popovich resigned as Chief Justice in late 1990, having reached mandatory retirement age.

Following his retirement from the Supreme Court, Popovich joined the Minneapolis law firm of Briggs & Morgan. He died in early 1996 at the age of 75.