Legal Question in Criminal Law in Minnesota

When a prosecutor prepares a criminal Complaint, they either request the court for a Summons, or an Arrest Warrant. If police dropped off a Complaint, it may have a Summons with it. A Summons will normally have a court date, time and location. Typically, if there is a Summons in a criminal case, it is mailed with a copy of the Complaint. If police show up in person, that is more commonly associated with their execution of an Arrest Warrant. I would not expect them to leave a copy of an Arrest Warrant. If in doubt, you could call the county Sheriff's office (warrant division if they have one), and Court Administration for the court in whatever county it is. You need not turn yourself unless there is an Arrest Warrant. You might want to call a criminal lawyer (like me) to discuss further if you have other questions.

You are not required to turn yourself in unless there is a warrant for your arrest. If the complaint was delivered to you, a warrant is unlikely and your complaint should identify the date, time and location of your first hearing.

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