Minnesota criminal defense / public data
Choosing a criminal defense lawyer in Minnesota: records, public defenders and questions to ask
We won’t name one. No public record shows outcomes by lawyer, and every case turns on its facts. Here is what state data shows, how to ask about a public defender, and how to compare the lawyers you are considering.
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- Group A arrests statewide, 2025
- of those were adults
- were juveniles
- judicial districts with published figures
Draft for human review. Prepared by AI research from public records. No Minnesota lawyer has reviewed this page. Confirm anything important with a lawyer or at the source.
This site offers general information, not legal advice. Using it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send us details of your legal situation.
Short answers
- Is there a best criminal defense lawyer in Minnesota?
- We do not name a best criminal defense lawyer. No public record shows outcomes by lawyer, and every case turns on its facts. Use the state's license and discipline records, then compare the lawyers you are considering with the first-meeting questions on this page.
- Can I get a public defender in Minnesota?
- Under Minn. Stat. 611.17, a person may qualify if they or a dependent in the household receive means-tested government benefits, or if the court finds their liquid assets and income are not enough to hire a private lawyer. The court decides eligibility for a public defender; courts usually ask for proof of income or benefits.Statute text: Minn. Stat. 611.17
- How many serious-offense arrests does Minnesota report?
- The state reported 56,100 Group A arrests in 2025. Group A is its list of more serious offenses. Arrests are not findings of guilt, and the state publishes these figures by judicial district rather than county.
What records can settle
Records can tell you
- Whether a lawyer is licensed, and whether there is public discipline.
- How many Group A arrests each judicial district reported.
- How the law describes who can get a public defender.
Records cannot tell you
- Who wins. We could not obtain court records in bulk, and dismissal figures on a firm’s website cannot be checked against them.
- What would happen in your case.
- County arrest totals, which the report does not publish in this form.
Arrests by judicial district
The state publishes arrests by district, so all the counties in a district share one figure. Pick a county to see its district.
Hennepin County
16.2
Group A arrests per 1,000 residents 15 and older in this county's judicial district, 2025
1st highest of 87 counties. Minnesota overall: 12.1.
- District arrests
- 16,876
- District
- 4
- Law offices
- 891
Every county in a district shows the same figure, because the state publishes arrests by district and not by county. Arrests are not convictions.
All 87 counties, highest first
| County | District rate | District arrests | District | Law offices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hennepin | 16.2 | 16,876 | 4 | 891 |
| Ramsey | 15.6 | 6,856 | 2 | 265 |
| Carlton | 14.4 | 3,063 | 6 | 7 |
| Cook | 14.4 | 3,063 | 6 | 0 |
| Lake | 14.4 | 3,063 | 6 | 0 |
| St. Louis | 14.4 | 3,063 | 6 | 51 |
| Becker | 12.7 | 5,132 | 7 | 5 |
| Benton | 12.7 | 5,132 | 7 | 4 |
| Clay | 12.7 | 5,132 | 7 | 11 |
| Douglas | 12.7 | 5,132 | 7 | 15 |
| Mille Lacs | 12.7 | 5,132 | 7 | 8 |
| Morrison | 12.7 | 5,132 | 7 | 0 |
| Otter Tail | 12.7 | 5,132 | 7 | 11 |
| Stearns | 12.7 | 5,132 | 7 | 50 |
| Todd | 12.7 | 5,132 | 7 | 4 |
| Wadena | 12.7 | 5,132 | 7 | 4 |
| Blue Earth | 12.1 | 2,852 | 5 | 23 |
| Brown | 12.1 | 2,852 | 5 | 9 |
| Cottonwood | 12.1 | 2,852 | 5 | 0 |
| Faribault | 12.1 | 2,852 | 5 | 3 |
| Jackson | 12.1 | 2,852 | 5 | 3 |
| Lincoln | 12.1 | 2,852 | 5 | 0 |
| Lyon | 12.1 | 2,852 | 5 | 6 |
| Martin | 12.1 | 2,852 | 5 | 5 |
| Murray | 12.1 | 2,852 | 5 | 3 |
| Nicollet | 12.1 | 2,852 | 5 | 6 |
| Nobles | 12.1 | 2,852 | 5 | 8 |
| Pipestone | 12.1 | 2,852 | 5 | 0 |
| Redwood | 12.1 | 2,852 | 5 | 6 |
| Rock | 12.1 | 2,852 | 5 | 5 |
| Watonwan | 12.1 | 2,852 | 5 | 3 |
| Dodge | 10.6 | 4,219 | 3 | 3 |
| Fillmore | 10.6 | 4,219 | 3 | 6 |
| Freeborn | 10.6 | 4,219 | 3 | 8 |
| Houston | 10.6 | 4,219 | 3 | 4 |
| Mower | 10.6 | 4,219 | 3 | 10 |
| Olmsted | 10.6 | 4,219 | 3 | 43 |
| Rice | 10.6 | 4,219 | 3 | 17 |
| Steele | 10.6 | 4,219 | 3 | 7 |
| Wabasha | 10.6 | 4,219 | 3 | 5 |
| Waseca | 10.6 | 4,219 | 3 | 5 |
| Winona | 10.6 | 4,219 | 3 | 10 |
| Aitkin | 10.0 | 2,800 | 9 | 3 |
| Beltrami | 10.0 | 2,800 | 9 | 9 |
| Cass | 10.0 | 2,800 | 9 | 8 |
| Clearwater | 10.0 | 2,800 | 9 | 0 |
| Crow Wing | 10.0 | 2,800 | 9 | 24 |
| Hubbard | 10.0 | 2,800 | 9 | 3 |
| Itasca | 10.0 | 2,800 | 9 | 13 |
| Kittson | 10.0 | 2,800 | 9 | 0 |
| Koochiching | 10.0 | 2,800 | 9 | 0 |
| Lake of the Woods | 10.0 | 2,800 | 9 | 0 |
| Mahnomen | 10.0 | 2,800 | 9 | 0 |
| Marshall | 10.0 | 2,800 | 9 | 0 |
| Norman | 10.0 | 2,800 | 9 | 0 |
| Pennington | 10.0 | 2,800 | 9 | 4 |
| Polk | 10.0 | 2,800 | 9 | 7 |
| Red Lake | 10.0 | 2,800 | 9 | 0 |
| Roseau | 10.0 | 2,800 | 9 | 3 |
| Carver | 9.5 | 6,310 | 1 | 24 |
| Dakota | 9.5 | 6,310 | 1 | 132 |
| Goodhue | 9.5 | 6,310 | 1 | 9 |
| Le Sueur | 9.5 | 6,310 | 1 | 3 |
| McLeod | 9.5 | 6,310 | 1 | 8 |
| Scott | 9.5 | 6,310 | 1 | 17 |
| Sibley | 9.5 | 6,310 | 1 | 0 |
| Anoka | 8.5 | 7,037 | 10 | 42 |
| Chisago | 8.5 | 7,037 | 10 | 9 |
| Isanti | 8.5 | 7,037 | 10 | 8 |
| Kanabec | 8.5 | 7,037 | 10 | 0 |
| Pine | 8.5 | 7,037 | 10 | 6 |
| Sherburne | 8.5 | 7,037 | 10 | 9 |
| Washington | 8.5 | 7,037 | 10 | 101 |
| Wright | 8.5 | 7,037 | 10 | 27 |
| Big Stone | 7.3 | 955 | 8 | 0 |
| Chippewa | 7.3 | 955 | 8 | 3 |
| Grant | 7.3 | 955 | 8 | 0 |
| Kandiyohi | 7.3 | 955 | 8 | 12 |
| Lac qui Parle | 7.3 | 955 | 8 | 0 |
| Meeker | 7.3 | 955 | 8 | 5 |
| Pope | 7.3 | 955 | 8 | 4 |
| Renville | 7.3 | 955 | 8 | 0 |
| Stevens | 7.3 | 955 | 8 | 0 |
| Swift | 7.3 | 955 | 8 | 3 |
| Traverse | 7.3 | 955 | 8 | 0 |
| Wilkin | 7.3 | 955 | 8 | 0 |
| Yellow Medicine | 7.3 | 955 | 8 | 0 |
Each district, ranked by arrests
- District 4Hennepin County, 891 law offices16,876
- District 108 counties, 202 law offices7,037
- District 2Ramsey County, 265 law offices6,856
- District 17 counties, 193 law offices6,310
- District 710 counties, 112 law offices5,132
- District 311 counties, 118 law offices4,219
- District 64 counties, 58 law offices3,063
- District 515 counties, 80 law offices2,852
- District 917 counties, 74 law offices2,800
- District 813 counties, 27 law offices955
Group A arrests in 2025. Arrests are not findings of guilt. Totals reflect population, enforcement and reporting.
If you can't afford a lawyer
How the law describes it
Under Minn. Stat. 611.17, a person may be unable to obtain counsel if they or a dependent in the household receive means-tested government benefits, or if the court finds their liquid assets and income are not enough to hire a private lawyer. The person seeking a public defender carries the burden of showing this.
What to do
The court decides eligibility for a public defender; courts usually ask for proof of income or benefits. The Board of Public Defense explains the service. We could not collect public defender caseload data, because the state’s site blocked automated requests and we did not go around that.
Questions for a first meeting
- How much of your work is criminal defense, and how much in this court?Ask for a share and for recent numbers on cases like this one.
- How many trials have you run in the last two years?Most cases don't reach trial, but you want a lawyer who can take one.
- What is the fee, and what does it cover?A flat fee may stop before trial or appeal. Ask, and get it in writing.
- Will you handle every appearance yourself?Ask who else might stand in, and when.
- What could this mean for my job, license or immigration status?Effects beyond the sentence can matter most. If you are not a citizen, raise this first.
- What should I avoid doing or saying right now?This is a question for your own lawyer, before you talk to anyone else about the case.
What the discipline numbers do and don't say
In 2025, the Lawyers Board received 1,572 complaints against lawyers of every kind, up from 1,278. In its report, 79% of outcomes were dismissals and a record 62% of complainants were closed without investigation. 18 matters led to public discipline: 6 disbarred, 8 suspended, 4 reprimanded. A complaint is not a finding, a pending matter is not a final one, and a clean record does not show skill.
$459,406
91 claims, criminal matters
Minnesota’s Client Security Board repays clients when a lawyer dishonestly takes their money, up to $150,000 a claim. Since 1987 it has paid 741 claims totaling $8,971,093, tied to 212 lawyers. These counts have no denominator, so they are not a rate for this kind of law. The practical point: ask how your money will be held, and get the fee in writing.
The largest category by dollars is probate, at $2,474,773.