A municipal court is a court with limited jurisdiction over criminal offenses and civil matters inside its area. These courts can be located at the city or county level.
Cimarron Municipal Court INformation
Court: Cimarron Municipal Court
Address: “119 South Main Street, PO Box 467, Cimarron, KS 67835”
Phone: 620-855-2215
City: Cimarron
County: Gray
State: Kansas
What is the purpose of the Cimarron Municipal Court?
Municipal Courts are often called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” This means that they handle minor criminal charges, civil disputes, and traffic incidents. Courts like Cimarron Municipal Court are the first level of court for this group of matters.
In other situations, the role of a county court is to deal with a large number of civil disputes within the respective region. Most cases involve divorce or other family matters, personal injury cases, more serious criminal infractions, or lawsuits.
County courts have the jurisdiction to deal with misdemeanors and civil matters that can not exceed the amount of $15k, while the circuits courts handle felony matters and bigger civil matters.
TYPES OF Matters HEARD IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Cimarron, Kansas
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 locales share municipal courts with other municipalities.
This can be done to better serve their people or to save money on expenditures. The cases that will be heard by a municipal court depend on the municipality, but typically include traffic violations, low level criminal charges and code violations.
You will not find a standard for what establishes a misdemeanor versus a felony case, 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’s the process for cases in the municipal court in Cimarron?
Judges manage hearings to determine:
- Probable cause for arrest
- Set bail amounts and conditions of release
- Conduct arraignment hearings when charges are filed against individuals by police officers
- Distribute search warrants to law enforcement officers in order to protect evidence from crime scenes
- start preliminary inquiries to establish if there is enough evidence to mount a charge
The typical process of a Municipal Court Case
Step One: Issuance of Summons
Second Step: Show Up before Judge or Magistrate
Municipal Court Penalties in Cimarron, KS
Penalties change often, which is why it’s good to speak with licensed attorney near you. The material below represents common penalties, but may not be accurate for the Cimarron Municipal Court.
A violation is an offense that has a penalty of $500 or below, while a misdemeanor crime can have penalties up to $1k 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 courts 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 will be fined up to $2,000 or spend up to six months in jail.
Cimarron Municipal Court Records
Municipal Court records from a municipal government may be difficult to find because they are not always stored in one place or system. The records that a person might need to depend on the type of matter they have in front of the court, what stage it is at in the process, and what type of information is required by law to be available.
FAQs ABOUT the Cimarron Municipal Court
What is municipal court in Cimarron, Kansas?
In Kansas, the municipal court is a lower level with civil and criminal matters within a city or municipality. Municipal courts will have a small jurisdiction and have limited authority as well, dealing only with petty charges and misdemeanor crimes.
What does the municipal court handle in Cimarron, Kansas?
Depending on the area 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. More serious cases/crimes are handled by higher authorities.
How many judges does the Cimarron Municipal Court have?
The number of judges depends on the municipality’s population.
How are cases heard in municipal courts in Kansas?
A municipal courthouse judge may be either elected or appointed to serve for a set duration or until they retire. Judges are sometimes chosen by precincts with each precinct’s results evaluated based on population. Municipal magistrates are often not attorneys but have some legal education and must finish several hours of continuing courses every period to maintain their credentials.