Douglas County
Douglas County was created in 1858 through the Minnesota Territorial Legislature and named for Stephen Douglas, a prominent U.S. Senator from Illinois. The county has a population of over 39,000 residents and a land area of 637 square miles. The county's largest city and seat of government is Alexandria.
Douglas County has a unified trial court system consisting of the District Court. The District Court has general jurisdiction over civil actions between individuals or organizations, including personal injury claims, contract disputes, and family law cases. Criminal cases such as traffic offenses, initial arraignments, misdemeanors, and felonies are also heard at the District Court. Residents can approach the apex court to resolve juvenile matters, such as delinquency and child protection cases. The court also oversees probate cases, including estate administration, contested wills, and guardianships. Other legal proceedings that take place in Douglas County's District Court include small claims, housing disputes, and ordinance violations.
Douglas County court records contain documentation about legal proceedings and judicial actions in the District Court. These documents typically contain case filings, orders, court dockets, transcripts, hearing dates, jury verdicts, evidence, warrants, and court judgments. The designated record custodian maintains and disseminates public court records in line with the Minnesota Judiciary Rules Of Public Access To Records. According to the state law, public court records include the following:
- Criminal court records
- Property records
- Traffic records
- Civil records
- Family law records
Meanwhile, court records containing sensitive and personal details about vulnerable persons in the county are confidential. As such, these records are available to record owners and their legal representatives. Certain persons may be granted special court permissions to access confidential court documents in Douglas County. Requesters can access paper copies of court records by calling or visiting the courthouse at:
Douglas County Courthouse
305 8th Avenue West
Alexandria, MN 56308
Phone: (320) 304-6050
On the other hand, Douglas County public court records are accessible online via the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO). To find case information on the state's portal, users can search using party names, case numbers, citation numbers, or attorney names
