Publications & Reports (Hennepin)

Hennepin County District Court »

The Research Department of the Fourth Judicial District conducts and publishes original research on topics that advance knowledge in the areas of criminal, juvenile and family justice; case processing; and related topics.

Contact us:
(612) 348-6000
Email Us »

eReminder Pilot Project

Using Reminders to Reduce Failure to Appear in Court September 2019

Psychological Services

Rule 20 Pilot Program Evaluation April 2019

Domestic Abuse Court

Domestic Violence Study: Case Processing, Disposition, and Outcome Analysis June 2018
Domestic Violence Court: Case Processing & Recidivism Analysis December 2002
Results of Survey of Domestic Violence Court Defendants: Understanding of Court Ordered Conditions October 2002
Domestic Violence Court: Results of Victim Survey March 2002
Domestic Assault in Hennepin County November 2001

Pretrial Scale Validations

Hennepin County 2018 Adult Pretrial Scale Revalidation December 2018
Hennepin County 2015 Adult Pretrial Scale Validation October 2015
Validation of the New 2007 Pretrial Scale April 2010
Fourth Judicial District Pretrial Evaluation: Scale Validation Study October 2006

Dispositional Analysis

Adult Level Dispositional Analysis October 2015

Community Court

Hennepin County Community Justice Initiative End of Grant Report September 2002
Hennepin County Community Justice Project: Summary Report of the Short-Term Evaluation January 2001

Property Court

Property Court After One Year September 2002

Evaluations

Evaluation of the Fourth Judicial District Criminal Court Pilot: Blocking or Teaming of Criminal Cases June 2012
Appendices to Blocking or Teaming of Criminal Cases
Property Drug Calendar Evaluation and RANT Assessment August 2009
Felony Block Pilot - Follow up October 2008
Felony Block Pilot - Final Report October 2007
Evaluation of the Minneapolis Payable Traffic Calendar October 2005
Summary of Minneapolis Livability Calendar March 2005
Summary of the Minneapolis Serious Traffic Calendar March 2005

Fairness Studies

Hearing Office Satisfaction Study: 2006 Update May 2007
Payable Traffic Court Fairness Study October 2005
Serious Traffic Court Fairness Study October 2005
Suburban Hearing Offices Fairness Study July 2004
Suburban Courts Fairness Study July 2004
Hearing Office Fairness Study May 2004

One Page Hennepin County Treatment Court Fact Sheets

DWI Court Spring 2021
Mental Health Court Spring 2021
Model Drug Court Spring 2021
Veterans Court Spring 2021

DWI Court

Hennepin County DWI Court Evaluation, 2013-2016 September 2020
DWI Court Year Five Evaluation September 2012
DWI Court Pilot Project: Results After Three Years of Operation June 2010
DWI Court Pilot Project: Results After Two Years of Operation May 2009
DWI Court Second Defendant Survey Report May 2008
DWI Court Pilot Project: Results After One Year of Operation May 2008
DWI Court Defendant Survey Report October 2007
DWI-Implied Consent Project: 1999-2002 September 2002

Drug Court

Model Drug Court Evaluation March 2017
Model Drug Court Evaluation September 2011
Model Drug Court Activity Report: April 2007 - June 2008 December 2008
Grant Evaluation for Female Defendants with Children & Mentally Ill Defendants in Drug Court June 2006
Effectiveness of Social Support Systems for Drug Court Defendants March 2006
Criminal Drug Court Defendant Experience and Fairness Study June 2004
Drug Court Highlights: First Five Years April 2002

Mental Health Court

Hennepin County Mental Health Court Evaluation, 2014-2017 August 2020
Evaluation of the Mental Health Court May 2006

Veterans Court

Hennepin County Veterans Court Evaluation May 2017
Veterans Court Two Year Review January 2013

Juvenile Risk Assessment Instrument Validations

Juvenile Dispositional Analysis

Fourth Judicial District of Minnesota Hennepin County Juvenile Disposition Analysis October 2015

Other Juvenile Court Reports

Decision Point Analysis: Juvenile Arrests and Charges in Hennepin County, MN - Report October 2010
Decision Point Analysis: Juvenile Arrests and Charges in Hennepin County, MN - Presentation October 2010
Analysis of Felony Delinquency Cases Charged in Hennepin County, MN - Report July 2010
Analysis of Felony Delinquency Cases Charged in Hennepin County, MN - Presentation July 2010
Juvenile Court Reminder Project September 2008
Juvenile Court Mental Health Triage Report February 2006
Juvenile Court Fairness Study August 2004
Juvenile Reference Study August 1994

Family Court Reports

Report on Single Parent Survey April 2007
Family Court Fairness Study May 2004
Family Court: Initial Case Management Conference Program Evaluation May 2002

Civil Court Reports

Conciliation Court Fairness Study July 2005
Housing Court Fairness Study October 2004

Probate/Mental Health Court Reports

Probate Court Utilization of Adjunct Judicial Officers Pilot Project Evaluation May 2012
Probate/Mental Health Court Fairness Study October 2005

Judicial Development Survey

Judicial Development Survey May 2005

Jury and Interpreter Services Reports

Satisfaction Survey of Fourth Judicial District Juror November 2006
Spanish Speaking Litigant Survey March 2006

Criminal Court Filing Statistics

Learn more about 2020 Criminal Filings in Hennepin County.

In 2020, the total number of Criminal Court filings was 266,744. In general, even before the covid-19 pandemic, Hennepin County Criminal Court filings have been declining between 2017 and 2020 as the trendline suggests.

Bar chart showing 411,278 criminal filings in 2017, 428,634 criminal filings in 2018, 403,104 criminal filings in 2019, and 266,744 filings for 2020. The image also contains a trend line, demonstrating that criminal filings in Hennepin County District Court have been falling between 2017 and 2020.

Bar chart showing 411,278 criminal filings in 2017, 428,634 criminal filings in 2018, 403,104 criminal filings in 2019, and 266,744 filings for 2020. The image also contains a trend line, demonstrating that criminal filings in Hennepin County District Court have been falling between 2017 and 2020.

Felony Filings

The total number of filings were down slightly in 2020 compared to 2017. However, the number of felony filings in Hennepin County District Court have been relatively stable between 2017 and 2020.

Bar chart showing 7,109 felony-level filings in 2017, 7,115 felony-level filings in 2018, 7,181 felony-level filings in 2019, and 7,074 felony-level filings in 2020, broken down by type of felony offense. The number of homicide cases filed were 81 in 2017, 55 in 2018, 64 in 2019, and 94 in 2020. The number of sex crime cases filed were 240 in 2017, 215 in 2018, 266 in 2019, and 249 in 2020. The number of weapons felony cases filed 225 in 2017, 192 in 2018, 252 in 2019, and 397 in 2020. The number of “other” felony cases filed were 861 in 2017, 769 in 2018, 726 in 2019, and 630 in 2020. The number of property crimes filed were 1,729 in 2017, 1,629 in 2018, 1,727 in 2019, and 1880 in 2020. The number of drug felonies filed were 2,047 in 2017, 2,385 in 2018, 2,180 in 2019, and 1,651 in 2020. The number of “other person” felony cases filed were 1,926 in 2017, 1,870 in 2018, 1,966 in 2019, and 2,163 in 2020.

Non-Felony Filings

In total, non-felony filings (Gross Misdemeanors, Misdemeanors, and Petty Misdemeanors) were down in 2020 compared to 2016, 2017, and 2018. All types of non-felonies saw a marked decrease in 2020 compared to prior years.

Non-Felony Filings, by Division

When breaking out the number of non-felony filings by the division in which the cases were filed, all divisions saw a significant decrease in non-felony filings. Note: the former Southdale courthouse closed in early 2019. In response to this closure, Hennepin County Criminal Court created "Division 4" in in place of Southdale, while also re-orienting the cities associated with Ridgedale and Brookdale.

Stacked bar chart showing 404,169 non-felony filings in 2017 (of which 273,653 were filed in the Downtown division, 48,555 were filed in the Ridgedale division, 35,514 were filed in the Brookdale division, and 46,447 in were filed in Division 4); 421,519 non-felony filings in 2018 (of which 289,016 were filed in the Downtown division, 45,688 were filed in the Ridgedale division, 39,570 were filed in the Brookdale division, and 47,245 were filed in Division 4); 395,923 non-felony filings in 2019 (of which 271,980 were filed in the Downtown division, 48,738 were filed in the Ridgedale division, 41,731 were filed in the Brookdale division, and 33,474 were filed in Division 4); and 259,680 non-felony filings in 2020 (of which 176,336were filed in the Downtown division, 32,953 were filed in the Ridgedale division, 33,444 were filed in the Brookdale division, and 16,947 were filed in Division 4).

Additional Criminal and Non-Criminal court filing data »

back to top ▴