Hennepin County, located in the southeastern parts of Minnesota, was established in 1852 and named after Father Louis Hennepin, a French explorer and missionary. It is home to over 1.2 million residents, making it the most populous county in the state. Hennepin County's notable landmarks include Lake Minnetonka and Minnehaha Falls, both located in Minneapolis, which serves as the county’s seat.

Courts in Hennepin County

Hennepin County operates a unified court system that grants the district courts general jurisdiction of criminal and civil cases. The District Courts are organized into divisions. In Hennepin County, the District Courts have Civil, Conciliation, Family, Housing, Traffic, Juvenile, Criminal, and Probate Divisions.

The Civil Court presides over non-criminal cases. The Conciliation Division handles civil cases with amounts in disputes less than $7,500. The Family Division adjudicates matters such as divorce, domestic abuse, child support, and paternity cases. The Housing Division is a specialty court that hears only landlord/tenant disputes. The Juvenile Division presides over adoptions, juvenile delinquency, and child protection matters. The Probate Division handles cases involving a deceased estate, including guardianships, conservatorships, and trusts.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Hennepin County

Hennepin County public court records are documents from legal proceedings open to the public. The Records Center in Hennepin provides access to the county’s court records through the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO). The Minnesota Public Access (MPA) also provides free public access to open court records through the computers located at the various courthouses. Record seekers may visit the office to view and obtain copies of the record. The MPA also accommodates mail requests for public court records.

Types of Public Court Records in Hennepin County

Hennepin County has a variety of public court records that are accessible to the public. Record seekers may view, inspect, or obtain copies of the following court records:

• Criminal Court Records: Relates to court records from criminal offenses such as felonies, including homicide and drug trafficking, and misdemeanors such as drug possession and trespassing
• Civil Court Records: It covers court records such as personal injury cases, liens, and property claims
• Conciliation Court Records: Landlord/tenant disputes
• Family Court Records: These pertain to legal matters involving families and domestic relations, such as divorce records, spousal support records, and paternity proceedings
• Probate Court Records: It involves the administration of a deceased estate such as wills, guardianship, and trusts

Confidential Court Records in Hennepin County

Confidential court records are documents that are closed to the public. Usually, confidential court records are sealed by a court order or federal or state statute. Consequently, record seekers cannot view or obtain copies of the record unless a court grants the order. Confidential court records in Hennepin County include juvenile court records, adoption records, trade secrets, and medical and mental health records.

Furthermore, confidential court records include sensitive or personal information contained in a court record where disclosure may lead to an invasion of privacy. This information includes bank account and credit/debit card information, contact address, email address, social security numbers, education records, and names of victims of certain crimes. The record custodian redacts this information from the document before issuing copies.

Juvenile Delinquency in Hennepin, MN

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Hennepin County, juvenile delinquency offenses are on the rise. There are many reasons for the inflation in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Minnesota often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of charges, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 632 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Hennepin County. Of that total, 0% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 2 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.

A lot of counties, including, Hennepin County, are focusing on family counseling and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Hennepin County juvenile delinquency tallies will show whether or not this approach is working.

Government of Hennepin County, MN

https://mn.gov/

County Seat:	Minneapolis
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1852
Total Square Miles:	607
2019 Population:	1,252,024
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00
County Contact:	300 S Sixth St Government Center Minneapolis , MN 55487-0999 https://www.hennepin.us/