Minnesota Municipal Court Information

The judicial system in the state of Minnesota is a three tier system. As in all states the Supreme Court is the highest court in Minnesota. Next in the judicial hierarchy comes the Minnesota Court of Appeals. At the bottom of the judicial structure are the district courts in the state. These courts have a general jurisdiction and most of the cases are filed in these courts. There is no designated Minnesota Municipal Court and cases are filed in district court.

Minnesota District Courts (http://www.mncourts.gov/?page=238) are trial courts in the state and each of the 87 counties in the state serves as the location for each of the Minnesota district courts. The courts have been divided among 10 Judicial Districts. Each of these judicial districts comprises of a certain number of counties.

Municipal Functions Served By Minnesota District Courts

The Minnesota District Courts are the first step in the judicial ladder of the state. This is where the residents of the state can begin their legal battles and therefore it is responsible for the settlement of a variety of cases.

Municipal courts usually have a limited jurisdiction but since the disputes that are under the purview of the municipal courts in Minnesota are taken up by the district courts, the issues range from minor criminal offences to traffic violations. Some district courts are further divided and have separate sections for handling small claims, criminal cases, juvenile crimes, civil matters, probate, and family cases.

There are 272 district court judges presiding over different district courts. The courts have provisions for jury trial except in cases that deal with non-extended juvenile jurisdiction and small claims.

Minnesota district courts which serve as municipal courts for their respective counties are:

First District http://www.mncourts.gov/district/1/: LeSueur, Sibley, Carver, Scott, Goodhue, McLeod and Dakota

Second District http://www.mncourts.gov/district/2/: Ramsey

Third District http://www.mncourts.gov/district/3/: Houston, Winona, Olmsted, Fillmore, Mower, Freeborn, Waseca, Dodge, Wabasha, Steele, and Rice

Fourth District http://www.mncourts.gov/district/4/: Hennepin
   
Fifth District http://www.mncourts.gov/district/5/: Nicollet, Cottonwood, Pipestone, Faribault, Blue Earth, Watonwan, Jackson, Brown, Rock, Martin, Redwood, Murray, Lincoln, Nobles and Lyon

Sixth District http://www.mncourts.gov/district/6/: Lake, Carlton, St. Louis, Cook

Seventh District http://www.mncourts.gov/district/7/: Mille Lacs, Wadena, Benton, Otter Tail, Todd, Douglas, Becker, Stearns, Morrison and Clay

Eighth District http://www.mncourts.gov/district/8/: LacQuiParle, Yellow Medicine, Kandiyohi, Traverse, Big Stone, Renville, Wilkin, Chippewa, Swift, Meeker, Grant, Stevens, and Pope

Ninth District http://www.mncourts.gov/district/9/: Koochiching, Pennington, Clearwater, Aitkin, Roseau, Mahnomen, Itasca, Beltrami, Red Lake, Hubbard, Lake-Woods, Cass, Marshall, Polk,
Kittson, Crow Wing, and Norman

Tenth District http://www.mncourts.gov/district/10/:  Wright, Isanti, Anoka, Washington, Kanabec, Sherburne,
Pine and Chisago

The Minnesota district courts are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for holidays. Information on the court is available on the Internet. You can download the forms pertaining to your case, such as Civil Appeal Forms, Pro Se Forms, Civil Forms, Attorney Forms, ECF Forms, Prisoner Forms, and Criminal Forms from http://www.mnd.uscourts.gov/FORMS/court_forms.shtml.

The biggest county in Minnesota is Saint Louis. It falls under the sixth judicial district. Each of the counties within the judicial district has a courthouse but St. Louis has three courthouses. These are located at Duluth, Virginia, and Hibbing respectively. It is in fact the only county that has chambered judges. The courthouses are located at

1810 E. 12th Ave.
Hibbing, MN 55746-1680
(218) 262-0105
(800) 450-9777 Ext 8105

100 North 5th Ave. W.
Duluth, MN 55802-1285
(218) 726-2460
(800) 450-9777 Ext 2460

300 5th Ave. South
Virginia, MN 55792-2666
(218) 749-7106
(800) 450-9777 Ext 7106

These courts settle all kind of disputes from small claims to criminal offenses. For more information on these courts you can visit http://www.mnd.uscourts.gov/index.shtml.

Other Courts in Minnesota

The state also has a unique system of problem solving courts. These courts function in tandem with social workers, prosecutors, probation officers, public defenders and other judicial agencies implement a system which helps the accused to change his behavior. Introducing such a system has been able to improve the local crime situation. The list of problem solving courts includes Community Courts, Drug Courts, Domestic Violence Courts, Truancy Courts and Mental Health Courts. The funds for the functioning of these courts are sourced locally.

Specific Minnesota Municipal Court Information:

Ramsey Court