Olmsted County Judge Decides to Step Down

A longtime local judge is calling it quits.

Olmsted County District Court Judge Robert Birnbaum has decided not to finish his current term and will step down June 19th, even though he has not reached the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Birnbaum was re-elected to a new term in 2012. It expires at the end of 2018.

Birnbaum has indicated he will serve on a part time basis.

Applications for a successor are expected to be sought in the near future. Birnbaum was appointed to the bench January 30, 1998 by Governor Carlson.

One of his most visible cases was a civil lawsuit involving Rochester Public Utilities and its wholesale electrical supplier, Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency. RPU sued the agency, challenging the way it charges its customers. Birnbaum ruled in favor of SMMPA in the case that cost both parties millions of dollars in legal fees.