Avon Lake Municipal Court – Avon Lake, OH

Oct 26, 2021

A municipal court is a court with small area of authority over criminal offenses and civil disputes within its location. These courts can be located at the county or city level.

Avon Lake Municipal Court INformation

Court: Avon Lake Municipal Court
Address: “32855 Walker Rd, Avon Lake, OH 44012”
Phone: 440-930-4103

City: Avon Lake
County: Lorain
State: Ohio

What is the purpose of the Avon Lake Municipal Court?

Municipal Courts are commonly called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” Which means that they deal with minor crimes, civil matters, and traffic matters. Courthouses like Avon Lake Municipal Court are the first level of court for this group of matters.

In other situations, the purpose of a county court is to deal with a large number of civil disputes within the respective region. Most cases involve family law matters, accident cases, more serious criminal infractions, or contract disputes.

County courts have the jurisdiction to deal with misdemeanors and civil actions that can’t exceed the amount of $15k, while the circuits courts handle felony matters and larger civil matters.

TYPES OF affairs seen IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Avon Lake, Ohio

Municipal courts are the lowest level of courthouses in the United States. They are usually found within the jurisdiction where they are located, but some jurisdictions share municipal courts with other municipalities.

This can be done to better service their people or to save money on overhead costs. The matters that could be heard by a municipal court can change based on on the municipality, but typically include traffic crimes, low level criminal charges and code violations.

You will not find a standard for what makes a misdemeanor charge versus a felony charge, but generally speaking felonies would require more time in jail than misdemeanor charges 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 Avon Lake?

Municipal courts are the first tier of the court system in the United States. They have jurisdiction over minor crimes, traffic matters, and other civil matters. Municipal courts are often known as city courts or town courts. Matters are handled by a magistrate who is usually a lawyer, judge, or retired judge. Magistrates may be appointed by the mayor or city council board to help for a specific time period.

Magistrates administer hearings to determine:

Probable cause for arrest
Set bail amounts and terms of release
Conduct arraignment hearings when charges are filed against defendants by police officers
Distribute search warrants to police officers in order to protect evidence from crime scenes
Conduct preliminary examinations to understand if there is enough evidence to issue a charge

The common process of a Municipal Court matter

The common path of a municipal courthouse case can be complicated. The next portion is an overview of the steps involved in a regular municipal court case.

First Step: An Issuance of Summons

A summons from the court is issued when a person has been charged with violating a city ordinance or state law. The citizen who has received the summons will need to be present at their assigned time and place, which is usually the municipal courtroom, to answer for the charge(s) against them. If they don’t show up, they may be found guilty in absentia and could be fined up to $1000 or sentenced to jail time if it’s a serious enough offense.

Step Two: Appearance before Judge or Magistrate

If someone fails to show up after being summoned by the judge, there may be a warrant issued for the individual.

Municipal Court Penalties in Avon Lake, OH

Penalties change often, which is why it’s good to speak with licensed attorney. The material below represents common penalties, but may not be 100% accurate for the Avon Lake Municipal Court.

A violation is an offense that has a penalty of $500 or less, while a misdemeanor charge can carry penalties up to $1k or one year in 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 offenses in municipal courthouses vary depending on the severity of an charges. For example, if you are caught with marijuana without having a medical prescription for it then you could be fined up to $2k or spend up to six months in jail.

Avon Lake 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 in front of the court, where it’s at in the process, and what type of information is required by law to be available.

Questions ABOUT the Avon Lake Municipal Court

What is municipal court in Avon Lake, Ohio?

In Ohio, the municipal court is a lower court with civil and criminal jurisdiction within a town or municipality. Municipal courts thus have a small location and have limited authority as well, dealing only with petty offenses and misdemeanors.

What does the municipal court handle in Avon Lake, Ohio?

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 Avon Lake Municipal Court have?

The count of judges depends on the municipality’s population.

How are cases heard in municipal courts in Ohio?

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 chosen by precincts with each precinct’s results evaluated based on the number of people. Municipal magistrates are often not attorneys but have some legal training and must complete several hours of continuing material every year to maintain their licenses.