Courts announce plan for hearings

The Minnesota Judicial Branch announced a framework for how remote and in-person hearings will be held, effective June 6. All hearings scheduled and hearing notices issued will follow the policy. Case participants will find the most accurate information about how their court hearings will take place on their hearing notices.

For non-criminal case types, including family, domestic abuse, harassment, eviction and civil cases, many hearing types are generally presumed to be remote. There is a presumption that evidentiary hearings — hearings where evidence is being presented or testimony is taken on issues in dispute — will generally be held in person. Judicial officers have the authority to grant case-by-case exemptions to these guidelines, but only under exceptional circumstances.

For hearings in criminal cases, each judicial district has developed its own localized plan for providing both remote and in-person hearings in criminal cases, which are backlogged because of the pandemic.

Treatment court proceedings are generally presumed to be in-person for participants.