Going to Court

It is important to know the reason for your hearing and why you are going to court.  Make sure you have reviewed all documents filed in your case. You will want to know the other party’s position and arguments, including any requests they are making at the hearing.  Be sure you know if you have to file anything with the court before your hearing date, or if you will be expected to bring witnesses.

If you are unsure about what is going on in your case, or whether you need to file anything or do something else, get help right away. You can call court administration or the clerk for the Judge/Referee assigned to your case. You can also call, email or visit a Self-Help Center. Please see What Court Staff Can and Cannot Do for You for more information. 

Many court hearings are open to the public. You may find it helpful to go to other hearings similar to your upcoming hearing so that you can visit the courthouse and courtroom and see what that type of hearing will be like. You can see public court calendars by going to Find Courts and selecting your county.  

If you are worried about forgetting an upcoming hearing, the court has a hearing e-reminder system you can enroll in for most case types.

Make sure you know whether your hearing is in person or remote. If you are appearing remotely, you should log in for your hearing early (for more information, visit the Remote Hearings page). If it is in person, make sure you know the location and address of your hearing. Many counties have multiple courthouse buildings. It is smart to plan out how you will get to court if appearing in person and how much time you will need before your court date. If you are appearing in person, you should try to arrive at the courthouse at least 30 minutes before your hearing.

Consider the following factors when planning on how much travel time you will need for appearing in person:
 

• How far you live from the courthouse;
• Method of transportation (i.e. car, bus, light rail, ride from a friend);
• Time for parking, if needed; and
• Traffic and weather.
  
  

Give yourself time to find your courtroom once in the building. Keep in mind you may need to wait in line for weapons screening, elevators, etc.

There is a possibility that your hearing may be on a “mass calendar,” which means multiple hearings may be scheduled during the same block of time. The time on your hearing notice may be when the calendar starts, not necessarily when your hearing may be called. Your case may get called first or it may get called later. You may need to wait as long as a few hours, depending upon the number of cases on the calendar.

You should be prepared to stay if there is a delay. If you leave before your case is called, your case may move forward without you.

If you are unsure whether your hearing is at the specific time listed on the notice or if it is part of a mass calendar hearing, call the number on your hearing notice or contact court administration in the county where your case is filed.

Planning ahead should save you a lot of stress and confusion on the day of your hearing.

You will want to make sure you have all your paperwork ready before you go to court. It is your responsibility to come prepared. You should have paper or electronic copies of all papers (called “pleadings”) you and the other side have filed with the court or given to each other.

If you are going to court because you were charged with a crime that involves the possibility of jail time, you can apply for a public defender before you make your first court appearance. Visit the Criminal Resources FAQ page for more information on how to apply for a public defender.

You may also want to prepare an outline of the main points you want to say. Nerves can get the best of all of us. Having a clear outline will help you organize your thoughts during your hearing. Make sure to stick to the most important information that is in your paperwork. It might be helpful to practice explaining your outline to a friend or family member.

You should also get your evidence ready, if necessary. Sometimes a court hearing is a trial where you need witnesses and evidence. Other times the hearing has a different purpose, such as a motion, and witnesses are not generally allowed.

Read all notices and orders you received about the hearing carefully to see what you may need. If you are unsure whether your hearing requires you to bring evidence or witnesses, get help right away.  If you need to have evidence and witnesses at the hearing, make copies of any documents you want to introduce as evidence and organize everything ahead of time. Read through all of the orders you received to check whether the judge has asked you to organize your evidence in a specific way. Make sure to have the original item, along with a copy for the court, a copy for you, and a copy for any other parties to the case. If you need to have witnesses, make sure you know if they will attend voluntarily or if you will need to get a subpoena.

Some documents cannot be used as evidence unless the right person is in the courtroom to explain the document and answer questions about it. There are many rules about evidence you will need to follow. You may want to talk to a lawyer about what evidence you need and how to make sure your evidence can be considered by the judge or jury.

One of the most important steps you can take when getting ready for court is preparing your evidence. Evidence is information a party presents to prove their case and is usually in the form of witness testimony and exhibits. Please see the Evidence and Exhibits Help Topic page for more information about preparing and presenting evidence.

Exhibits can be shared digitally with the court and the other parties in a case for evidentiary hearings or trials without the need for physical copies through the MN Digital Exhibit System (MNDES).

If your hearing is scheduled at a time when you would normally work, make arrangements for taking time off, if you can, or other arrangements as needed.

Unless the court has told you to bring your children to the hearing, make arrangements for childcare, if possible. The court does not provide childcare, and it may be difficult for children to sit quietly or for you to focus during a hearing if children are present.

You may want to bring a support person with you; however, large groups are generally discouraged. Keep in mind that any support person will not be able to speak on your behalf at the hearing.

You have the right to ask for a free court-appointed interpreter for you or any of your witnesses, if needed. You should ask for an interpreter as soon as possible, ideally, at least two weeks before your hearing date.

You can ask for an interpreter by calling court administration in the county where your case is filed. Your hearing notice may also include a phone number for you to call. 

Generally, once you have requested an interpreter, you will continue to be appointed an interpreter for any other hearings on that case.

When you are involved in a court case, it is important to always make sure the court has your current address and phone number. You should contact the court and update them when there are any changes to your information. If the court does not have your current address, you may miss notices sent from the court. You may also miss important papers filed by the other side and you could lose important rights in your case.

To update your address and/or phone number, you can call court administration or go to the courthouse in person and talk to someone in court administration. You can find contact information, including phone numbers and courthouse locations, on the Find Courts page (select the county where your case is filed from the drop-down menu).

Parties in eligible case types in criminal, juvenile delinquency, and juvenile protection cases in Minnesota District (Trial) Court can check in using eCheck-in for their upcoming hearing and complete pre-court paperwork.

You must be a party in the case to check into a hearing using eCheck-in. Witnesses, victims, attorneys, etc. are not parties in a case and cannot check in for hearings at this time.​ You will need to give your first and last name as it appears on your hearing notice, along with either the court file number or your birth date.

Eligible parties can pre-check in for their hearing up to 7 calendar days ahead of the hearing date using the eCheck-in website. For in-person hearings, on the day of the hearing, parties can complete the last step to check in once they have arrived at the courtroom using their own personal device (if allowed) or using a kiosk located in the court lobby or near the courtroom. Please follow local courtroom rules about use of personal devices inside the courtroom. For remote hearings, eligible parties can complete the last step to check in once they have signed on to the Zoom remote hearing.

This is an optional service provided by the Minnesota Judicial Branch as a courtesy to help you remember to appear for a scheduled hearing, request or apply for additional services, and alert court staff that you have arrived for your hearing. You should continue to follow instructions from the court for all required appearances. 

Whether you have prechecked or checked in to your court hearing using eCheck-in, you are still required to attend and identify yourself in the courtroom or remote hearing, follow local courtroom rules about use of personal devices, and attend all hearings.

NEED HELP?

For assistance to check in or pre-check in using eCheck-in, you can:

• Contact local court staff
• Ask for help at the lobby window (if you are in the court lobby)
• Send a message through Zoom chat (if you are in a remote hearing)
• Contact statewide customer support for technical assistance:
  • (651) 413-8160 (Twin Cities Metro)
  • (833) 707-2791 (statewide)