News Item
oneCourtMN Hearings Initiative Policy Revised Effective January 3, 2023

Posted: Friday, December 9, 2022

In November, the Minnesota Judicial Council approved revisions to the oneCourtMN Hearings Initiative Policy (Policy 525), the Judicial Branch policy that lays out the framework for continued use of remote hearings and the presumptive hearing locations for each case type.  The revised policy becomes effective January 3, 2023. 
 
In April 2022, Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea issued an order that lifted all pandemic-related restrictions and announced the new Judicial Branch policy governing presumptive hearing locations effecting both Criminal and Non-Criminal case types.
 
Since that time, the oneCourtMN Hearings Initiative Steering Committee has met regularly with judges, court staff, and justice partners to discuss and gather feedback about ways to improve the Policy to best address the needs of court users.
 
Based on that feedback, the Judicial Council approved revisions to the policy, effective January 3, 2023, including:
  • Moving juvenile delinquency hearings under the criminal provision within Policy 525. Each district or county will develop its own local hearing plan(s) for how juvenile delinquency hearings are held. Each district will complete its plans by December 20.
  • The following hearing types in which settlement is a common occurrence will change from presumptively remote to presumptively in-person: family pre-trials, civil pre-trials, civil settlement conferences, and civil temporary restraining orders.
  • Guardianship/Conservatorship Order to Show Cause hearings will generally be held remotely.
Case participants will find the most accurate information about how their court hearing will take place on their Hearing Notice.