Anoka County District Court has 16 resident judges, all with general jurisdiction to hear any case filed in the county. If you need to know who they are, who was assigned to your case, or how to ask for a different one, the answers are below.
The Current Anoka County Bench
Sixteen judges currently sit as resident judges in Anoka County.1Anoka County, MN. Courts The judges shown on the Minnesota Judicial Branch website are:2Minnesota Judicial Branch. Anoka County District Court – Judges
- Assistant Chief Judge Sean C. Gibbs
- Judge Suzanne M. Brown
- Judge Brianne J. Buccicone
- Judge Justin M. Collins
- Judge Michele A. Davis
- Judge Thomas R. Lehmann
- Judge Tricia Loehr
- Judge Karin L. McCarthy
- Judge Kevin J. Mueller
- Judge Jennifer D. Peterson
- Judge Melissa Saterbak
- Judge Todd R. Schoffelman
- Judge Karen B. Schommer
- Judge Jennifer L. Stanfield
- Judge Dyanna L. Street
Anoka County is part of Minnesota’s Tenth Judicial District, which also covers Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine, Sherburne, Washington, and Wright counties and employs 45 judges in total.3Minnesota Judicial Branch. Tenth Judicial District The courthouse is at 2100 3rd Avenue, Anoka, MN 55303, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.4Minnesota Judicial Branch. Anoka County District Court
What These Judges Hear
Judges rotate across the court’s divisions, so the same judge who hears a felony trial one block of the year may be handling family motions the next. Anoka County District Court processes cases in these divisions:5Anoka County, MN. Court Resources and Services
- Criminal: felonies, gross misdemeanors, misdemeanors, and traffic offenses.
- Civil: lawsuits between private parties, contract disputes, and personal injury claims.
- Family: divorce, child custody, child support, and domestic abuse protection orders.
- Juvenile: delinquency matters and child protection proceedings.
- Probate: estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and civil commitments.
- Conciliation: Minnesota’s small claims court, for general claims of $20,000 or less.6Minnesota Judicial Branch. Conciliation Court
The county also runs a Veterans Treatment Court for defendants with military service whose charges connect to substance abuse, mental health, or trauma. It operates as a partnership between the District Court, Anoka County Veteran Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the County Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office, and community organizations, and emphasizes treatment and supervision over conventional sentencing.7Anoka County, MN. Veterans Court
How to Find Out Which Judge Has Your Case
Every case gets a case file number, and that number is the fastest way to identify your assigned judge. Anoka County’s county code is 02, so numbers look like 02-CR-26-1234, with the middle letters indicating case type.8Minnesota Judicial Branch. Citation and Case Number You will find the number on your summons, criminal citation, or complaint.
Take that number to Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO), the state’s public case lookup. You can search by case number, party name, or citation number and filter by Anoka County. The record displays a Register of Actions listing filings, hearing dates, and the judicial officer assigned. MCRO also lets you search scheduled hearings by judicial officer name.9Minnesota Judicial Branch. Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO)
If the online record looks incomplete or a hearing date seems off, call the Anoka County Court Administrator’s office. The Court Administrator is the official keeper of records for all case types filed in the county and can confirm the judge, courtroom, and hearing time.1Anoka County, MN. Courts
Requesting a Different Judge
Minnesota Rule of Civil Procedure 63 gives every party one automatic right to remove the assigned judge, no reason required. File a notice to remove within ten days of learning who was assigned, and before the trial or hearing starts.10Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Court Rules – Civil Procedure Rule 63
You lose that automatic right once the judge has already presided over a motion or other proceeding you had notice of. After that, removal requires an affirmative showing that the judge is disqualified under the Code of Judicial Conduct, such as a personal relationship with a party or a financial interest in the outcome. The same higher standard applies to any later attempt to remove the replacement judge after you have used your one automatic removal.10Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Court Rules – Civil Procedure Rule 63
When a removal is granted, the chief judge of the Tenth Judicial District assigns a replacement from within the district. If no qualified judge is available, the Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court assigns one from another district.10Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Court Rules – Civil Procedure Rule 63
Reporting Judicial Misconduct
If the issue is misconduct rather than a strategic preference for a different judge, the Minnesota Board on Judicial Standards investigates complaints against sitting judges, including violations of the Code of Judicial Conduct, persistent failure to perform judicial duties, and conduct that brings the judiciary into disrepute. Filing a complaint with the Board does not remove the judge from your case and runs separately from any motion you file in court.
Interpreters and Accessibility
If you speak limited or no English and are a party, defendant, witness, or parent in a case, Minnesota Statutes Section 480.182 gives you the right to a court-appointed interpreter at no cost.11Minnesota State Law Library. Legal Resources in Other Languages – Interpreters Request one through the Court Administrator’s office before your hearing so the court can schedule the right language.
Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals are entitled to an interpreter or other communication accommodation at no charge under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Minnesota Statutes Section 363A.11.11Minnesota State Law Library. Legal Resources in Other Languages – Interpreters Physical accessibility accommodations should also be requested through the Court Administrator’s office in advance.