Four things to know about Theodora Gaïtas, the newest member of the Minnesota Supreme Court

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 History 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 2018. 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.

Chief Justice Natalie Hudson noted that as a fellow member of the new female majority, and as the first person of color to serve as chief justice, “I can attest that diversity on the bench isn’t just a milestone, it is a strength. It is a strength that enriches and improves the quality of our work and enhances the trust that the public places in us.”

Walz, in the middle of his campaign for vice president, made a surprise appearance at the ceremony. Gaïtas makes the fourth of the court’s seven justices appointed by Walz.

Each member of the current court was nominated by a Democratic governor, but several speakers underscored the political independence of the judiciary and Walz specifically pointed to the nonpartisan Commission on Judicial Selection that helps to vet and select nominees. He also highlighted the input his office receives from chief judges in Minnesota’s 10 judicial districts.

“I will make the case that all of you protected this judiciary, this nonpartisan judiciary, and made it the best in the country,” the governor said. “And for that, as a citizen of Minnesota, I am incredibly grateful.”

Gaïtas recounted how her father, a Greek immigrant to the United States who spoke little English, was admitted to Winona State University where he met her homesick mother, who had transferred to the school after her family moved from Illinois to Winona. Five years later, Gaïtas was born.

Gaïtas’ father became a maritime lawyer and the family moved to Athens, Greece. When it came time for Gaïtas to attend college, her parents sent her back to her other home — Minnesota. “They knew I could get a great and affordable education here at the University of Minnesota and so they literally forced me to come here,” she said. The crowd roared with laughter, but Gaïtas said it wasn’t a joke and her parents nodded along in the front row.

Gaïtas and other speakers also paid tribute to her late husband, Chris Sur, who died unexpectedly last year at the age of 55. In one of the more lively moments of the evening, their daughter, Clea Gaïtas Sur, played piano with a jazz trio on her own lilting composition, “Unity Waltz.”