New records center means one stop for Hennepin County court documents

Monday will mark the first day of one-stop shopping for Hennepin County District Court records after the establishment of a central vault to improve public access.

The new Records Center allows citizens to look up records from various cases in one place, ranging from civil and conciliation to criminal, housing and probate/mental health. The center is located in the B Vault in the lower level of the Hennepin County Government Center, 300 S. 6th St., Minneapolis.

Previously, the records from most courts were located in separate offices throughout the Government Center.

The Records Center features 13 computer terminal stations with electronic access to case records.

County court administrator Mark Thompson said the center is the latest development in a four-year project involving electronic filing and consolidating in the district. Hennepin County is still in the process of digitizing the equivalent of 180 semitrailer truck loads of record accumulated over 130 years. The ultimate goal of the $6 million project is a nearly entirely digital records center, he said.

He said the hope is to no longer move any paper records.

Eventually, he said, "It'll also allow us to put more records online so people won't even have to come to the building."

The Records Center is open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except for Wednesday, when it closes at 1:30 p.m. Copies are available for cash or check payment for $10 for a plain copy and $16 for a certified copy. Credit cards are not accepted.

The Family Justice Center and Juvenile Justice Center in downtown Minneapolis, along with suburban locations, will continue to maintain records at their current locations.

ABBY SIMONS