Minnesota Legal Overview: St. Cloud The St. Cloud metropolitan area in Minnesota is defined by the Census Bureau as covering Benton and Stearns counties. The St. Cloud MSA is part of the larger Minneapolis-St. Paul-St. Cloud combined statistical area or CSA, which additionally includes the Minneapolis-St. Paul MN-WI MSA. The two counties in the St. Cloud metro area are served by the 7th Judicial District, which covers a total of 10 counties including Benton and Stearns. Listed below are the major cities and towns in the St. Cloud metro area. Top Minnesota cities in this area for Legal Issues: St. Cloud
1. The Stearns County District Court located in St. Cloud is the only trial court for the county and has general jurisdiction over all cases filed in the county. It has original jurisdiction over everything from felonies to large civil disputes and family law cases. The court also hears and decides on misdemeanors, traffic violations, small claims below $7,500 and other minor matters such as landlord-tenant disputes and protection orders. The Benton County District Court is located in the county seat of Foley.
Trending Legal Topics: Appeals against trial court verdicts in Benton and Stearns counties may be filed with the Minnesota Court of Appeals, which is located in St. Paul. The Minnesota Supreme Court may allow one final appeal and uphold or overturn the intermediate appellate court ruling. Federal cases in the St. Cloud metro area must be filed with the St. Paul Division of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. Appeals against the federal court’s decision must be filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. |