2005 Minnesota Statutes

     488A.18 Establishment; jurisdiction; powers; appeals. 

    Subdivision 1.    Establishment confirmed.  There is 
 hereby created a Municipal Court of Ramsey county with the 
 jurisdiction and powers hereinafter stated. 

    Subd. 2.    Court of record.  The court is a court of 
 record with an administrator and a seal. 

    Subd. 3.    Powers of court.  Except as otherwise 
 provided in this act, the court has all the powers of the 
 district court of this state.  It may issue all civil and 
 criminal process necessary or proper to enforce and effectuate 
 its jurisdiction and determinations. 

    Subd. 4.    Civil jurisdiction.  (a) Excepting cases 
 involving title to real estate, the court has jurisdiction to 
 hear, try and determine civil actions at law in which the amount 
 in controversy does not exceed $15,000, exclusive of interest 
 and costs.  The territorial jurisdiction of the court is 
 coextensive with the geographic boundaries of the county of 
 Ramsey. 

    (b) The court also has jurisdiction, within the limitations 
 provided in this subdivision, to hear, try and determine civil 
 actions commenced by a plaintiff, resident of Ramsey county, 
 where the action arose out of alleged negligent operation of a 
 motor vehicle in Ramsey County, notwithstanding that the 
 defendant or defendants are not residents of the county.  
 Notwithstanding any law or rule of civil procedure to the 
 contrary, the summons in the action may be served anywhere 
 within the state of Minnesota. 

    (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of clause (a) or any 
 rule of court to the contrary, the Municipal Court of Ramsey 
 County has jurisdiction to determine an action brought pursuant 
 to section 504B.178 for the recovery of a deposit on rental 
 property located in whole or in part in Ramsey County, and the 
 summons in the action may be served anywhere within the state of 
 Minnesota. 

    Subd. 5.  Repealed, 1973 c 708 s 37 

    Subd. 6.    Eviction or unlawful removal or exclusion.  
 Whether or not the title to real estate is involved, the court 
 has jurisdiction of actions of eviction or actions for unlawful 
 removal or exclusion pursuant to section 504B.375, involving 
 land located wholly or in part within Ramsey County and, 
 notwithstanding any provision of subdivision 8 to the contrary, 
 of actions seeking relief for code violations pursuant to 
 sections 504B.185 and 504B.381 to 504B.471 involving premises 
 located wholly or partly within Ramsey County. 

    Subd. 7.    Criminal jurisdiction.  The court has 
 jurisdiction to hear, try and determine any charge of violation 
 within Ramsey County of: 

    (1) a criminal law of this state constituting a misdemeanor 
 or gross misdemeanor and any offense of this state which 
 constitutes a petty misdemeanor; 

    (2) any ordinance, charter provision, rule or regulation of 
 any subdivision of government in the county of Ramsey; or 

    (3) any ordinance, charter provision, rule or regulation of 
 the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metropolitan Airports Commission; 

    (4) any ordinance, rule or regulation of the regents of the 
 University of Minnesota. 

    Subd. 8.    Exceptions to jurisdiction.  The court does 
 not have jurisdiction: 

    (a) of any action where the relief asked for is purely 
 equitable in its nature; 

    (b) of an action for divorce; 

    (c) to issue any extraordinary writ; nor 

    (d) to issue any order in proceedings supplementary to 
 execution. 

    Subd. 9.    Service.  All civil and criminal process and 
 orders may be served and enforced anywhere within the state of 
 Minnesota. 

    Subd. 10.    Place of holding court.  The county of 
 Ramsey shall provide suitable quarters for the holding of 
 regular terms of court at all places where court sessions are 
 conducted.  

    Subd. 11.    Continuous terms.  The court shall be in 
 continuous session and deemed open at all times except Sundays 
 and legal holidays. 

    Subd. 12.  Repealed, 1977 c 432 s 49 

    Subd. 13.    Trial of criminal actions.  All charges of 
 misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, petty misdemeanors and 
 ordinance violations shall be tried in the municipality where 
 the alleged violation occurred.  If there is no court located in 
 the municipality, then the trial of the charges shall take place 
 at the nearest place of holding court.  In addition to any 
 daytime arraignments as the court may establish, traffic and 
 criminal arraignments shall be held at least once each week in 
 the evening after 7:00 p.m. if so requested by the governing 
 body of a city in which a court is situated as provided by Laws 
 1973, chapter 708 by a resolution filed with the administrator 
 of court. 

    Subd. 14.    Appeals.  Appeals from the county municipal 
 court to the Court of Appeals shall be subject to the Rules of 
 Appellate Procedure. 

    Subd. 15.    Removal to district court.  Whenever a 
 counterclaim in excess of $6,000 is asserted, an equitable 
 defense interposed, or it shall otherwise appear that the court 
 is without jurisdiction in a cause pending therein, the fact 
 shall be recorded, and the court administrator shall transmit to 
 the court administrator of the district court a certified 
 transcript of the record and all papers filed in the case.  
 Thereafter the cause shall proceed to judgment in the district 
 court as if it had there been commenced, and the costs shall 
 abide the event.  

    HIST: 1961 c 436 s 1; 1965 c 695 s 1; 1967 c 747 s 1; Ex1971 c 
 27 s 36; 1973 c 360 s 2; 1973 c 421 s 8; 1973 c 611 s 4; 1973 c 
 708 s 1-4,36; 1974 c 397 s 1,2,16; 1975 c 410 s 8; 1977 c 129 s 
 5; 1977 c 432 s 36,37; 1979 c 56 s 9; 1979 c 95 s 2; 1982 c 398 
 s 15-18; 1983 c 247 s 181; 1Sp1986 c 3 art 1 s 82; 1987 c 346 s 
 15; 1992 c 468 s 1; 1999 c 199 art 2 s 26,27; 2003 c 2 art 2 s 
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