Minnesota Rule of Civil Procedure 5.04(a)’s one-year filing deadline for civil actions in Minnesota takes a hit at the court of appeals on its way to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

The court of appeals has addressed the interplay between Rules 5.04(a) and 60.02 of the Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure on three separate occasions over the past year.  In addition to holding that Rule 60.02 applies to judgments entered under Rule 5.04, the court of appeals has broadly favored the use of Rule 60.02 to grant relief from such judgments.  The issue of whether Rule 60.02 applies to judgments entered under Rule 5.04 is now before the supreme court, with a decision expected later this year.  Read more here.