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Media Resource Center

The Court Information Office (CIO) serves as the first point of contact for media covering the courts and court cases.
 

Interview RequestsPlease visit the Contacts tab on this page to contact the CIO directly with any requests to interview Judicial Branch judges or staff. CIO staff can work with reporters to schedule interviews and provide background information related to the interview topic that may be helpful.
Data Requests

On the Court Statistics and Reports page, the Minnesota Judicial Branch makes a variety of data summaries available to the public in interactive data dashboards and written publications and makes a limited number of bulk data extracts available upon execution of a signed data use agreement.

If this data does not provide the needed information, please make a request to the State Court Administrator by visiting the Request Data tab. The Minnesota Rules of Public Access to Records of the Minnesota Judicial Branch govern what data is available to the public.

Members of the media are encouraged to enter a deadline on the data request form so that requests can be processed promptly. Every effort is made to meet deadlines, but depending on the nature of the request, that may not always be possible. Generally, the nature of the request will dictate the delivery date.

Current High Profile Cases

Historic/Archived High Profile Cases

Reporters should contact the CIO with questions about a case. The CIO can help reporters access public case records and documents, and provide information about past and future hearings.


Access case records online through Minnesota Court Records Online

Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) provides real-time access to the registers of actions for cases in the district court case management system. The registers of actions include court dates (past and future), party information, and many public documents. Many public court documents can also be obtained at any courthouse in the state by accessing the case through a public terminal using MPA Courthouse. Searching for cases in MPA Courthouse does not require a case number, but please note that pending criminal cases (cases that have not yet resulted in a conviction) are only accessible through MCRO if a search is conducted by case number. Defendant name searches will not yield results for pending cases under that name.


Hennepin County District Court

There is an additional resource for media covering Hennepin County District Court. Please contact Jael McLemore in Public Affairs by phone at (612) 348-5677 regarding cases in that court, or to request an interview with Hennepin County District Court staff or judges.
Reporters should contact the CIO with questions about a case. The CIO can help reporters access public case records and documents, and provide information about past and future hearings.

Access case records online through P-MACS, the case management system of the Minnesota appellate courts. P-MACS provides real-time access to case information, including court dates (past and future), party information, and a list of documents that have been filed. At this time, only documents filed by the courts are accessible online. All other documents are accessible at the office of the Clerk of Appellate Courts, at the State Law Library, at any court facility in the state, or through the CIO.

What should I expect when covering Supreme Court oral arguments?

Webcasts of Supreme Court Oral Arguments- Recorded and generally posted by 5:00 p.m. the day the arguments are heard

What should I expect when covering Court of Appeals oral arguments?
Cameras and audio recording devices are allowed in Minnesota Appellate Courts under the conditions prescribed in Rule 134.10 of the Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure.

Call the Court Information Office at (651) 296-6043 at least 24 hours in advance.

Instructions for the Media Panel (Room G03 on the ground floor of the Minnesota Judicial Center, 25 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155)
Updated and effective Sept. 1, 2018

Recording devices are allowed in Minnesota District Courts under the conditions prescribed in Rule 4 of the General Rules of Practice. Media covering cases by audio/visual means are expected to be fully aware of all details contained in the Rule. A summary of the Rule, and how it applies to certain types of proceedings, follows:
  • A written request for audio/visual coverage must be provided to the district court (to the attention of both the court administrator and the judge) where the proceeding will be heard. Please be as specific as possible as to the type of coverage requested on the form, such as video camera, still camera, iPhone, live broadcast, etc. The request may be submitted by fax, in person, or by U.S. mail. Fax numbers and addresses are available through the Find Courts section of the Judicial Branch website. A court administrator may, at his or her discretion, accept the request through email, but the requestor should verify whether the court administrator will accept an email before submitting the request. The Court Information Office can confirm the requirements for providing the request to a particular court.
  • The request must be provided to the court at least seven days before the commencement of the hearing or trial. A copy of the written notice shall also be provided to the State Court Administrator’s Court Information Office (see the "Contacts" tab on this page) and the respective media coordinator. Media coordinators, who are representatives from the news media, have volunteered to facilitate interaction between media and judges, and can coordinate pooling and local courthouse logistics.
  • In addition, as a courtesy, please copy the Fourth Judicial District Office of Public Affairs when submitting notice in Hennepin County District Court.  When covering Hennepin County District Court, please refer to the Memo of Understanding Governing the Usage of Cameras and Recording Devices in Fourth District Court Facilities.
  • Please see Rule 4.02(d) in the General Rules of Practice
  • The media may use the Notice of Audio/Video Coverage court form to provide the required notice.
  • Electronic coverage will only be allowed if the judge and all parties to the case agree to the coverage.
Please see Rule 4.02(e) in the General Rules of Practice.

Electronic coverage must be permitted at proceedings held in the courtroom in the presence of the presiding judge after a guilty verdict has been returned or a guilty plea accepted, unless limited in the Rule.

The media may use the Notice of Audio/Video Coverage court form to provide the required notice.
 
Please remember to notify the appropriate media coordinator and the Court Information Office when submitting a notice of audio/visual coverage. The Court Information Office, an office of the State Court Administrator, can help answer any questions.

No visual or audio coverage is permitted of a victim, as defined in Minn. Stat. § 611A.01(b), or a person giving a statement on behalf of the victim as the victim’s proxy, unless the victim and when applicable the victim’s proxy, affirmatively acknowledges and agrees in writing before testifying to the proposed coverage. It is the responsibility of the media to get the agreement signed by a victim and submitted to the court.
  • Please see Rule 4.02(c) in the General Rules of Practice.
  • A form is available for use when requesting to electronically record or photograph civil proceedings.
  • The decision on whether or not electronic coverage will be allowed rests solely with the judge hearing the case, but any objections from the parties may be considered.
What the CIO Cannot Do
ContactsKyle Christopherson
Communications Specialist
Cell: (651) 262-4118

Lissa Finne
Communications Specialist
Office: (651) 297-5532
Cell: (612) 201-7637

 

Hennepin County District Court

For Hennepin County District Court inquires please visit the Hennepin Public Affairs and Outreach page.