A municipal court is a court with small jurisdiction over criminal charges and civil disputes inside its geographic area. These courts can be found at the city or county tier.
Arcola Municipal Court INformation
Court: Arcola Municipal Court
Address: “PO Box 25, Arcola, MS 38722”
Phone: 662-827-2063
City: Arcola
County: Washington
State: Mississippi
What is the purpose of the Arcola Municipal Court?
Municipal Courts are commonly called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” Which means that they work with minor crimes, civil matters, and traffic tickets. Courts like Arcola Municipal Court are the first level of court for this group of matters.
On the other hand, the role of a county court is to deal with a large number of civil disputes within the respective region. Most cases involve family law matters, personal injury, more serious criminal charges, or contract disputes.
County courthouses have the jurisdiction to deal with misdemeanors and civil matters that can’t exceed the amount of $15,000.00, while the circuits courts handle felony cases and bigger civil cases.
TYPES OF CASES seen IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Arcola, Mississippi
Municipal courts are the entry level of courts in the U.S.. They are usually found within the jurisdiction where they are located, but some locales share municipal courts with other municipalities.
This can be done to better serve their people or to save money on administrative costs. The cases that will be heard by a municipal court depend on the municipality, but typically include traffic tickets, low level criminal charges and code violations.
You will not find a standard for what establishes a misdemeanor crime versus a felony charge, but generally speaking felonies would require more time in jail than misdemeanors and fines may also be higher for felonies. Traffic violations usually result in points against your driver’s license as well
what is the procedure for cases in the municipal court in Arcola?
Magistrates administer hearings to determine:
- Probable cause for an arrest
- Set bail amounts and the conditions of release
- Conduct arraignment hearings when charges are filed against individuals by police officers
- Distribute search warrants to police officers in order to protect evidence from crime scenes
- start preliminary inquiries to understand if there is enough evidence to mount a charge
The Process of a Municipal Court matter
Step One: An Issuance of Summons
Step Two: Show Up before Judge or Magistrate
Municipal Court Penalties in Arcola, MS
Penalties change often, which is why it’s best to speak with licensed lawyer. The material below represents common penalties, but may not be accurate for the Arcola Municipal Court.
A violation is an offense that has a penalty of $500 or less, while a misdemeanor charge can carry penalties up to $1000 or one year in local jail. A person’s driving privileges may be suspended for six months if they receive three speeding tickets within 12 months.
The penalties for different charges in municipal courthouses vary depending on the severity of an offenses. For example, if you are caught with marijuana without having a medical prescription for it then you could be fined up to $2,000 or spend up to six months in jail.
Arcola Municipal Court Records
Municipal Court records from a municipal court may be difficult to find because they are not always stored in one location or system. The records that an individual might need to depend on the type of matter they have before the court, where it’s at in the process, and what kind of of information is required by law to be present.
Common Questions ABOUT the Arcola Municipal Court
What is municipal court in Arcola, Mississippi?
In Mississippi, the municipal court is a lower level with civil and criminal matters within a city or municipality. Municipal courts thus have a small location and have limited authority as well, dealing only with petty charges and misdemeanor crimes.
What does the municipal court handle in Arcola, Mississippi?
Depending on the scope of the municipality, a municipal court can handle a civil division (cases with less than $15,000 at issue), a traffic/criminal division, or a housing and environmental division. Serious cases/crimes are handled by higher authorities.
How many judges does the Arcola Municipal Court have?
The count of judges depends on the municipality’s population.
How are cases heard in municipal courts in Mississippi?
A municipal court judge may be either elected or appointed to serve for a set term of years or until they retire. Judges are sometimes elected by the people with each precinct’s results weighted according to the number of people. Municipal magistrates are generally not attorneys but have some legal education and must finish many hours of continuing education every period to maintain their licenses.