Overview
Effective July 1, 1959, the Minnesota Judicial Branch was divided into 10 judicial districts for administrative purposes, per Minn. Stat. 2.722. Each district is made up of two to 17 counties, with the exception of the Second District (Ramsey County) and the Fourth District (Hennepin County). Each district is managed by a chief judge and an assistant chief judge, assisted by a district administrator.
The First Judicial District has 36 judges and more than 250 staff that handle over 95,000 cases annually in the counties of Carver, Dakota, Goodhue, Le Sueur, McLeod, Scott, and Sibley. The court's mission is "to provide justice through a system that assures equal access for the fair and timely resolution of cases and controversies."