Hennepin County District Court Launches New Warrant Hotline

 

Minnesota Judicial Branch Press Release

Minneapolis, Minn. (August 1, 2019) – Hennepin County District Court recently launched a new warrant hotline that allows adult defendants to get information about their warrant and possibly schedule a court hearing to take care of their case.

Picture of Hennepin County District Court building

Picture of Hennepin County District Court building

“We know there are many reasons why people miss their court hearings including not receiving notice of the court date, transportation issues, or difficulty taking time off from work or finding child care,” said Judge Kerry Meyer, Criminal Presiding Judge. “They then worry about being arrested on the warrants and being pulled away from their children and job suddenly. This new hotline allows adults to schedule a time to address their warrants without the expense of a night or two in jail.”

If a caller schedules a hearing to take care of their warrant, it will remain active until they go to court.

Not all cases will be eligible to schedule court over the phone. Ineligible warrants include:

  • Warrants for missing a trial

  • Warrants for a probation violation or conditional release violation

  • Complaint warrants

  • Warrants for failure to appear at the Workhouse/Adult Correctional Facility

If a warrant is not eligible for a court date, the caller will be asked to turn themselves in at the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility, located at 401 4th Avenue South in downtown Minneapolis.

Hotline hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. The number is (612) 543- WRNT (9768).

The warrant hotline is the latest program developed by the court designed as a long-term solution to address issues that lead to warrants being issued, like eReminders, in which the Court sends text or e-mail hearing date reminders to defendants who opt-in to receive them.

About Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District

The Fourth Judicial District consists solely of Hennepin County. Seventy-five judicial officers serve the district, which is the largest of Minnesota's 10 judicial districts. In 2018, more than 486,000 cases were filed in Fourth Judicial District courts. For more information, visit www.mncourts.gov/district/4/

 
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