New Limitations at Court Facilities
Per an
order from Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea, the Minnesota Judicial Branch is limiting in-person activities in court facilities in response to increased COVID-19 infection rates in Minnesota:
- Jury Trials: Jury trials in progress will continue until complete. No new jury trials will begin prior to February 1, 2021. Exceptions may be granted for in-person proceedings under limited circumstances.
- Remote Hearings: All hearings will be conducted remotely. Exceptions may be granted for in-person proceedings under limited circumstances.
- Public Access: At least one counter service window must be open during normal business hours. Services may be provided remotely or by appointment only. See below for current information on public access to our court facilities.
- Self-Help Center services are available by phone and email.
When entering the McLeod County courthouse please note:
- Hand-sanitizing stations are available, and
- Disclose if you have had any COVID-19 symptoms or are not feeling well
If you have a court case scheduled in McLeod County District Court, please call
(320) 864-1281 to determine if your case will be heard or scheduled to a future date. You may also contact the court by
email.
Parties to actions where a hearing has been cancelled may be contacted by court administration regarding their hearing.
If you do not have access to internet, or are unable to connect by video and audio for a Zoom hearing, please contact the local Court Administrator’s Office for further information.
Remote Expedited Temporary Relief (RETR) in Family Cases:
All counties in the 1st Judicial District will be participating in the Remote Expedited Temporary Relief (RETR) Program. RETR is a temporary program to facilitate case management during the COVID-19 Emergency. RETR is a Minn. R. Gen. Prac. 114.02(a) (10) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process.
This program permits the parties to retain a third party to provide binding ADR services to resolve temporary relief issues in family cases. The process is truncated in at least three ways: volume of submissions, time limits on the process, and deadlines. RETR follows the Financial Early Neutral Evaluation (FENE) / Moderated Settlement Conferences (MSC) model for fees and includes a four hour flat fee rate charged by the ADR provider. To participate review RETR program information and file Stipulation and Order for RETR.