# Hennepin County District Court *Minnesota state district court for Hennepin County. In 2023 it approved the court-enforceable settlement arising from the State's civil-rights investigation of the Minneapolis Police Department.* Hennepin County District Court is the Minnesota state court in which Judge Karen Janisch approved the settlement in *Minnesota v. Minneapolis Police Department*, [[No. 27-CV-23-4177]], on July 13, 2023.[^1][^2] The settlement had been filed on March 31, 2023. It arose from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) investigation of the [[City of Minneapolis]] and the [[Minneapolis Police Department]] (MPD). It can be enforced by the court, and it ends only on a judicial finding of "full, effective, and sustained compliance."[^1][^3] Two other matters in the record were also docketed in this court. The first is the State's environmental suit *State of Minnesota v. 3M Company*, No. 27-CV-10-28862.[^4] The second is an order dated October 21, 2020, which the Minnesota Judicial Branch published under No. 27-CR-20-12646.[^5] A federal track ran alongside the state settlement on the same department. On June 16, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice found reasonable cause that the MPD "uses excessive force, including unjustified deadly force" and "unlawfully discriminates against Black people and Native American people."[^6] A [[consent decree]] was filed on January 6, 2025.[^7] On May 21, 2025, the Department moved to dismiss that case with prejudice and retracted its findings. It described the step as "ending the Biden Civil Rights Division's failed experiment of handcuffing local leaders."[^8] The federal dismissal did not reach the state settlement approved in Hennepin County District Court.[^2][^3] ## Where Hennepin County District Court is a [[Minnesota]] state district court for Hennepin County. Three matters in the record were docketed there: - *Minnesota v. Minneapolis Police Department*, No. 27-CV-23-4177: the MDHR settlement, approved July 13, 2023.[^1][^2] - *State of Minnesota v. 3M Company*, No. 27-CV-10-28862: the State's complaint over PFAS contamination.[^4] - No. 27-CR-20-12646: an order of the court dated October 21, 2020.[^5] The federal case on the same police department, [[United States v. City of Minneapolis (MPD consent decree)]], No. 0:25-cv-00048, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, not in this court.[^7] ## Who Judge Karen Janisch of Hennepin County District Court approved the MDHR settlement.[^1] MDHR filed its charge on June 1, 2020. On April 27, 2022, it found "probable cause that the City and MPD engage in a pattern or practice of race discrimination in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act."[^9] The finding is cited to the [[Minnesota Human Rights Act]]. ELEFA, the settlement's [[independent evaluator]], began work on March 18, 2024.[^1][^3] On the federal side, the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division opened the investigation. Assistant Attorney General Dhillon announced the May 2025 dismissal and retraction.[^8] Judge [[Paul A. Magnuson]] of the federal district court granted the dismissal.[^10][^12] In the 3M suit, the State sued as trustee under Minn. Stat. § 115B.04.[^4] ## What The MDHR settlement is a court-enforceable instrument. Under its terms, it ends only when the court finds "full, effective, and sustained compliance."[^1][^2] MDHR maintains a public document hub for the agreement.[^3] The State's complaint against 3M pleads six counts:[^4] - MERLA; - the Minnesota Water Pollution Control Act; - trespass; - common-law nuisance; - statutory nuisance; - negligence. The complaint concerns four sites, including the [[Washington County Landfill]], and the compounds PFOA, PFOS, PFBA and PFBS.[^4] It states that 3M announced a plan in 2000 to stop PFOS production and that Minnesota production ceased in late 2002.[^4] The Attorney General's office keeps a case page for the suit.[^13] ## When - June 1, 2020: MDHR files its charge against the City and the MPD.[^9] - October 21, 2020: Hennepin County District Court issues an order in No. 27-CR-20-12646.[^5] - April 21, 2021: The Justice Department opens a pattern-or-practice investigation of the City and the MPD under 34 U.S.C. § 12601, one day after the [[Chauvin verdict]].[^10] - April 27, 2022: MDHR issues its probable-cause finding.[^9] - March 31, 2023: The state settlement is filed.[^1] - June 16, 2023: The Justice Department issues its findings (release 23-674).[^6][^11] - July 13, 2023: Hennepin County District Court approves the state settlement.[^1][^2] - March 18, 2024: The independent evaluator ELEFA begins work.[^1] - January 6, 2025: The federal consent decree is filed in No. 0:25-cv-00048 (D. Minn.).[^7] - May 21, 2025: The Justice Department moves to dismiss with prejudice and retracts its findings (release 25-534).[^8] - May 27 or 28, 2025: Judge Magnuson grants dismissal with prejudice. The Clearinghouse docket dates the dismissal May 27, 2025; Sahan Journal reports that the order issued May 28, 2025.[^10][^12] ## How The two instruments were built differently, and they ended differently. **The state settlement.** It was entered as a Hennepin County District Court approval. Its exit requires a judicial finding of "full, effective, and sustained compliance."[^1][^2] **The federal consent decree.** It ran 169 pages and provided for an independent monitor.[^7] It never took effect. In the same May 21, 2025 release, the Department did four things:[^8] - moved to dismiss the Minneapolis suit and the [[Louisville]] suit; - closed both investigations; - retracted the findings in both; - also retracted findings as to [[Phoenix]], [[Trenton]], [[Memphis]], [[Mount Vernon]], [[Oklahoma City]] and the [[Louisiana State Police]]. Judge Magnuson granted the dismissal with prejudice and denied the settlement-approval motion as moot. He wrote of "grave misgivings about the proposed consent decree serving the public interest."[^12] The record thus shows a federal finding of June 16, 2023 that was withdrawn on May 21, 2025.[^6][^8] It also shows a state finding of April 27, 2022 whose settlement, approved in this court, was not withdrawn.[^9][^2] ## How many MDHR's April 2022 investigation report documents the following:[^9] - 13 of the 14 people killed by MPD officers since 2010 were people of color or Indigenous. - Black residents were 19% of the population but accounted for 63% of recorded use-of-force incidents from 2010 to 2020. - From 2017 to 2020, Black residents accounted for 54% of officer-initiated traffic stops and 78% of all searches. The Justice Department's findings report runs 89 pages.[^11] ## In the at-issue record The project's at-issue entry 028 sets the state settlement's termination standard beside the dismissed federal instrument (see [[At issue 028 - The state agreement is court-enforceable and terminates only]]).[^2][^3] The entry states that, three years after the July 13, 2023 approval, the settlement had not terminated. It cites the MDHR agreement records and the Clearinghouse docket for this.[^2][^3] ## Notes [^1]: Minnesota Department of Human Rights, *Civil rights update on the MPD court-enforceable agreement* (2023) — Settlement filed March 31, 2023; approved by Hennepin County District Court Judge Karen Janisch July 13, 2023, No. 27-CV-23-4177; termination only on a finding of "full, effective, and sustained compliance"; independent evaluator ELEFA began March 18, 2024. https://mn.gov/mdhr/news-community/newsroom/civilrightsupdates.jsp?id=1061-584578 [^2]: Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse, *Minnesota v. Minneapolis Police Department*, No. 27-CV-23-4177 (docket) — Filing and July 13, 2023 approval of the court-enforceable settlement in Hennepin County District Court. https://clearinghouse.net/case/43326/ [^3]: Minnesota Department of Human Rights, *MPD agreement document hub* — Settlement documents and evaluator records. https://mn.gov/mdhr/mpd/agreement/ [^4]: State of Minnesota, *State of Minnesota v. 3M Company*, Complaint, Hennepin County District Court No. 27-CV-10-28862 — Six counts; State as trustee under Minn. Stat. § 115B.04; four sites including the Washington County Landfill; PFOA, PFOS, PFBA, PFBS; PFOS production timeline. https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Cases/3M/docs/Complaint.pdf [^5]: Hennepin County District Court, *Order*, No. 27-CR-20-12646 (October 21, 2020) — Order of the court published by the Minnesota Judicial Branch. https://mncourts.gov/mncourtsgov/media/High-Profile-Cases/27-CR-20-12646/Order10212020.pdf [^6]: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, *Release 23-674* (June 16, 2023) — Reasonable-cause findings on MPD use of force and discrimination. https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-finds-civil-rights-violations-minneapolis-police-department-and-city [^7]: U.S. Department of Justice, *Release on the agreement with the City of Minneapolis and MPD* (January 6, 2025) — Consent decree filed in *United States v. City of Minneapolis*, No. 0:25-cv-00048 (D. Minn.), 169 pages, providing for an independent monitor. https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-reaches-agreement-city-minneapolis-and-minneapolis-police-department [^8]: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, *Release 25-534* (May 21, 2025) — Motion to dismiss the Minneapolis and Louisville suits with prejudice; retraction of findings including Phoenix, Trenton, Memphis, Mount Vernon, Oklahoma City and the Louisiana State Police; statement of AAG Dhillon. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-department-justices-civil-rights-division-dismisses-biden-era-police-investigations-and [^9]: Minnesota Department of Human Rights, *Investigation into the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department* (April 27, 2022) — Charge filed June 1, 2020; probable-cause finding under the Minnesota Human Rights Act; killings, use-of-force, stop and search figures. https://mn.gov/mdhr/assets/Investigation%20into%20the%20City%20of%20Minneapolis%20and%20the%20Minneapolis%20Police%20Department_tcm1061-526417.pdf [^10]: Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse, *United States v. City of Minneapolis* (docket) — Investigation opened April 21, 2021 under 34 U.S.C. § 12601; dismissal dated May 27, 2025. https://clearinghouse.net/case/18178/ [^11]: U.S. Department of Justice, *Investigation of the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department*, findings report (June 2023) — Full 89-page findings report. https://www.justice.gov/d9/2023-06/minneapolis_findings_report.pdf [^12]: Sahan Journal, *Report on dismissal of the Minneapolis federal consent decree* (May 2025) — Judge Paul A. Magnuson granted dismissal with prejudice, denied approval motion as moot, and stated "grave misgivings"; reports the order issued May 28, 2025. https://sahanjournal.com/public-safety/minneapolis-federal-consent-decree-dismissed/ [^13]: Office of the Minnesota Attorney General, *State of Minnesota v. 3M Company* case page — Case documents for No. 27-CV-10-28862. https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Cases/3M/