3 Hennepin County court employees under scrutiny return to work

Three of the 10 Hennepin County District Court staff placed on paid administrative leave this month pending an investigation into alleged wrongdoing have returned to work.

In a statement, the court said the employees returned to work "as a result of the initial investigation."

Officials have declined to state the reasons for the investigation. The names of the employees have not been released.

"There is involvement of union employees, so we must follow that process carefully," said court spokeswoman Nancy Peters, who also cited privacy regulations. "So that's what we're bound to."

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

AFSCME, the union that represents many court employees, declined to comment on the investigation.

On Sept. 21, when the investigation was made public, Peters said the process would likely conclude in a few days.

On Friday, Peter said, "We are not speculating any end date for the investigation."

"There might be a next step," Peters said on Sept. 21. "There may be a return to work. There may be dismissals. We don't know, pending the results of the investigation. That's why we're very cautious right now at this time, just like we would with any other court matter."

Eight of the employees work in the civil court. One works in the juvenile court, and the other works in administration.

The Court declined to identify the job titles of the returning staff members.

The District Court employs more than 550 staff members, and receives nearly 800,000 cases each year.