Governor Tim Walz reappointed Judge Delapena to the Minnesota Tax Court on December 1, 2020 (he was first appointed to the Court by Governor Mark Dayton on November 30, 2012). Delapena served as a Chief Judge from December 2012 to January 2015, and from June 2017 to March 2021.
Judge Delapena earned a B.A. from University of Pittsburgh in 1986 (Philosophy & Economics), and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1991 (cum laude).
During his twenty years of legal practice, Judge Delapena specialized in appellate law, both criminal and civil, and in state tax controversies.
From 1992 through 1999, Judge Delapena served as an Assistant State Public Defender specializing in appeals to the Minnesota Court of Appeals and Minnesota Supreme Court. As an appellate public defender, he challenged criminal convictions for persons unable to afford private counsel.
In January 2000, Judge Delapena was appointed as an Assistant Minnesota Attorney General. He worked for seven years in the Tax Litigation Division, which he managed from late 2004 through early 2007. While at the Attorney General’s Office, Judge Delapena handled a wide variety of state tax controversies including matters involving individual income tax, corporate franchise tax, centrally-assessed property tax, withholding tax, gasoline excise tax, and sales and use tax.
From May 2007 through December 2012, Judge Delapena worked in private practice for Bradford Delapena, Ltd. As a solo practitioner, he handled a wide variety of cases including criminal and civil appeals and state tax matters. He also represented the Board of State Public Defense in several important funding cases.
From 1994 to the present, Judge Delapena has served as an adjunct professor of law at both the William Mitchell College of Law and the University of Minnesota Law School, teaching a variety of courses including Criminal Procedure and Introduction to American Law.
Minnesota Supreme Court Criminal Rules Advisory Committee
Appointed December 2007; Reappointed December 2010
Minnesota Supreme Court Civil Appellate Rules Advisory Committee
Appointed July 2008
Member, Amdahl Inn of Court, Minnesota State Bar Association (Criminal Law and Tax Sections), Ramsey County Bar Association
Presenter at various Continuing Legal Education programs.
Twin Cities Aikido Center, intermittent board member and officer, instructor 2007 to present.
Volunteer Judge. Regularly serves as judge for various law school moot courts and high school mock trial programs.
