Steele County
Located in the southern region of Minnesota, Steele County was formed in 1855 and named after one of the early settlers, Franklin Steele. The county has a land area of 430 square miles and a population of 37,406 (2020 U.S. census). Its county seat and largest city is Owatonna.
The Steele County District Court is the sole court in the county, and it has original jurisdiction over all criminal, civil, probate, family, juvenile, and traffic cases. Its many divisions deal with different kinds of issues. The Criminal and Traffic Division hears misdemeanors, traffic offenses, and felonies. The Civil Division hears all civil cases with or without monetary claims. The Family Division listens to any cases for domestic relations, this includes things like spousal support, divorce, annulment, adoption, parental right termination, and legal separation. The Juvenile Division manages any of the juvenile matters, like emancipation, truancy, juvenile delinquency, and traffic offenses. The Probate Division tackles any of the probate-related issues, such as the management of trusts and estates, guardianship appointment, and the admission of any wills.
Public court records in Steele County are court documents and files available to the public. These records include court filings, proceedings, docket listings, writs, warrants, motions, depositions, court transcripts, orders, and judgments from the Steele County District Court. The Steele County Court Administrator maintains these records. The Administrator's Office prepares, organizes, indexes, stores, and maintains court records in compliance with state and county laws.
The public's confidence in the legal system is bolstered by access to Steele County's public court records. The following types of court records are publicly available in Steele County unless sealed by court orders:
- Probate Records
- Civil Case Records
- Criminal Case Records
- Traffic Records
- Family Court Records
The Steele County District Court has public access terminals within its premises that anyone can use to access its public court records. They can also view or request copies of public court records at a fee. Alternatively, they can search for Steele County nonconfidential court records on the Minnesota Court Records Online platform.
