Neither the County Attorney nor staff are allowed to represent, provide legal advice to, or provide legal services to private citizens or businesses. Among the areas that are considered private civil matters are: boundary line disputes, child custody, collection of judgments, conservatorships, dissolutions, landlord/tenant disputes, orders for protection, private covenants, probate, wills/trusts, and writs of execution.

Contact the Houston County Court Administrator’s Office at 507-724-7002 and request a court date. Appear for court on the date and time specified. If you wish to speak with the prosecutor, you may do so after hearing your rights. If you wish to plead not guilty, you will be given another court date for a court trial or pre-trial hearing.

You should contact your Attorney and/or Court Administration at: (507) 724-7002.

Provide the insurance information to the Houston County Court Administrator’s Office or to the Minnesota Court Central Payment Center prior to your court date.

FAILURE TO OBEY A SUBPOENA WITHOUT BEING EXCUSED IS CONTEMPT OF COURT. You should appear in Court on the date and time specified. If the Subpoena came from our office, you may not need to be present for all of the days listed on the Subpoena. To find out more information on which day(s) you must be present, please contact our office and ask to speak to the Prosecutor handling the case.

All crimes should be reported to the law enforcement agency where the crime occurred: All crimes that occur within the city limits of Caledonia, Hokah, Houston, or La Crescent, should be reported to that city’s police department. All crimes that occur outside of city limits or in the cities of Spring Grove, Brownsville or Eitzen should be reported to the Houston County Sheriff’s Office.

Pressing charges:

Once law enforcement completes the initial investigation of a complaint, they will determine whether to forward the report to the appropriate prosecuting agency. The reviewing prosecutor decides which charge(s), if any, will be issued.

Dropping charges:

Many people incorrectly believe a victim has the power to “press charges” or “drop the charges.” In Minnesota all crimes are considered offenses against the state, not solely against the victim. The Houston County Attorney’s Office prosecutes criminal complaints on behalf of the state.

Only the attorney prosecuting the case can decide to file or dismiss charges, but the victim’s opinion is important in that decision. Many factors are taken into account when deciding whether to honor a victim’s request not to proceed with prosecuting, including the nature and extent of the defendant’s criminal history, the severity of the alleged crime, whether the defendant has other pending charges in the criminal justice system, and future danger to the community.