Criminal Court in Hennepin County
In 2018 alone, there were 428,634 criminal cases filed in Hennepin County. Criminal cases in the county are divided by felonies, which are prosecuted by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, and gross misdemeanors, misdemeanors, and petty misdemeanors, which are prosecuted by a variety of municipal, or city, prosecution offices. If you are charged with a felony offense, your case will be prosecuted by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The County Attorney’s Office also handles all juvenile delinquency matters in Hennepin County. If you are charged with a gross misdemeanor, misdemeanor, or petty misdemeanor, your case will be prosecuted by a city prosecutor for the city in which the crime or petty offense was allegedly committed. There are some exceptions to this general divide. For example, all criminal sexual conduct offenses are prosecuted by the County Attorney’s Office regardless of offense level.
Court in Downtown Minneapolis
Most felony prosecutions in Hennepin County will begin with a first appearance at the Public Safety Facility. This facility contains 270 inmate cells, and three courtrooms equipped to handle in-custody and out-of-custody defendants making their first appearance in court. The courtrooms are not designed for jury trials. The Public Safety Facility was designed to work in conjunction with the Adult Detention Center, which is located across the street, where more inmates are held. A secure tunnel connects the Public Safety Facility and the Adult Detention Center. The Public Safety Facility is located at 401 Fourth Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55415.
After a first appearance, felony cases are heard at the Hennepin County Government Center. This 24-story building is the main government center for the county, and houses the County Attorney’s Office, the respective chambers of all county judges and referees, and other county offices. Hennepin County has the highest criminal caseload in the state, and the Government Center is equipped with dozens of courtrooms. All felony omnibus hearings, pretrials, settlement conferences, jury trials, and sentencings are held at this facility. Similarly, all gross misdemeanor, misdemeanor, and petty misdemeanor prosecutions arising in the City of Minneapolis are handled here. Additionally, the Hennepin County Government Center is the facility where gross misdemeanor and misdemeanor trials are conducted for all city prosecutions throughout the county, and also where all expungement hearings are held. Recently, the satellite courthouse located in Edina was closed, and hearings for prosecutions in the cities of Bloomington, Richfield, and the Metropolitan Airports Commission, were transferred to the main Hennepin County Government Center. The Hennepin County Government Center is located at 300 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415.
Suburban Courthouses in Hennepin County
Gross misdemeanor, misdemeanor, and petty misdemeanors prosecutions occuring outside of the City of Minneapolis (not including Bloomington, Richfield, and the Metropolitan Airports Commission), are divided between two satellite courthouses located in Brooklyn Center and Minnetonka. The Minnetonka location (pictured on the right), is responsible for handling all city prosecutions for the cities of Edina, St. Louis Park, Minnetonka, Orono, Medina, Eden Prairie, Excelsior, Spring Park, St. Bonafacius, Hopkins, Shorewood, Mound, Minnetrista, Deephaven, Independence, Minnetonka Beach, Wayzata, Loretto, Long Lake, and the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District. The Minnetonka courthouse is located at 12601 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka, MN 55305.
The second satellite courthouse in Hennepin County (pictured on the left) is located in Brooklyn Center. The Brooklyn Center location is responsible for handling all city prosecutions for the cities of Plymouth, Maple Grove, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Robbinsdale, Crystal, Champlin, Corcoran, Dayton, Greenfield, Hanover, Rogers, Rockford, New Hope, Osseo and Hassan. Recently, the Brooklyn Center location was renovated to include a large, technologically updated courtroom to handle its busy calendars. The Brooklyn Center courthouse is located at 6125 Shingle Creek Parkway, Brooklyn Center, MN 55430.
Our Minneapolis Lawyers Are Passionate About Defending You
Navigating your way through a criminal case in the Hennepin County courts can be daunting. Our attorneys take pride in their reputation for client service, positive case outcomes, and skilled advocacy. If you are facing criminal charges in Hennepin County or elsewhere throughout the state of Minnesota, attorneys Adam T. Johnson and David R. Lundgren are only a phone call away. If you are interested in discussing your case with one of our lawyers, call 612-767-9643 to schedule your free consultation – we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.