John Rodenberg, a District Court judge, and Margaret Chutich, assistant Dean of the Humphrey School of Public affairs, were named to the Minnesota Court of Appeals on Tuesday by Gov. Mark Dayton.

Rodenberg and Chutich replace Edward Toussaint and Gordon Shumaker, who retired earlier this year.

The Court of Appeals has 19 judges and is the first level of appeal from Minnesota's rial courts, as well as from some state agencies and local governments. Rodenberg and Chutich were named to at-large seats on the Court of Appeals.

"From a group of excellent candidates, Judge Rodenberg and Ms. Chutich stood out because of their proven commitment to public service and different perspectives they will each bring to the Court of Appeals," Dayton said in a statement.

Rodenberg, who lives in New Ulm, was appointed to the Fifth Judicial District Bench in southwest Minnesota in 2000. Prior to that, he was in private practice, with an extensive family law practice, and was a part-time Assistant Brown County Attorney.

Chutich, who lives in Minneapolis, served as Deputy Attorney General for the Law Enforcement Section of the Minnesota Attorney General's office before joining the Humphrey School. She also has experience as an Assistant United States Attorney in Minnesota.