Attorneys for Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken delivered statements before the Minnesota Supreme Court on Monday morning, marking the beginning of the end of the 2008 Senate race’s legal journey in the Gopher State.

Legal teams for the two Senate candidates present their cases this week, but major briefs for the case were filed in May. Most local legal experts expect a decision within the next few weeks.

Coleman appealed Franken’s 312-vote recount victory to the state Supreme Court earlier this year. If Coleman loses this case, the one-term Republican Senator has not ruled out appealing to the federal courts — a process that could delay the outcome until late summer or beyond.

As part of their case to the state Supreme Court, Franken’s campaign asked that the court mandate that Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) sign the election certificate so that the winner can be seated in the Senate. The court is expected to rule on that matter as well when it announces a verdict later this month.