A municipal court is a court with limited area of authority over criminal offenses and civil disputes within its geographic area. These courts can be located at the county or city level.
City of La Crosse Municipal Court INformation
Court: City of La Crosse Municipal Court
Address: “400 La Crosse Street, La Crosse, WI 54601”
Phone: 608-789-7290
City: La Crosse
County: La Crosse
State: Wisconsin
What is the role of the City of La Crosse Municipal Court?
Municipal Courts are commonly called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” Which means that they deal with minor crimes, civil disputes, and traffic violations. Courthouses like City of La Crosse Municipal Court are the first level of court for this group of matters.
On the other hand, the purpose 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, injury cases, more serious criminal charges, or contract disputes.
County courthouses have the jurisdiction to deal with misdemeanors and civil actions that can’t exceed the amount of $15,000.00, while the circuits courts handle felony cases and more expansive civil cases.
TYPES OF CASES seen IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in La Crosse, Wisconsin
Municipal courts are the bottom rung of courts 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 citizens or to save money on overhead costs. The cases that could be heard by a municipal court vary depending on the municipality, but typically include traffic violations, criminal misdemeanors and code violations.
There is no set definition for what constitutes a misdemeanor charge 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 La Crosse?
Judges manage hearings to determine:
- Probable cause for an arrest
- Set bail amounts and the conditions of release
- Conduct arraignment hearings when charges are filed against suspects by police officers
- Issue search warrants to police officers in order to secure evidence from crime locations
- Conduct preliminary examinations to understand if there is enough evidence to issue a charge
The Process of a Municipal Court matter
First Step: Issuance of Summons
Step Two: Show Up before Judge or Magistrate
Municipal Court Penalties in La Crosse, WI
Penalties change often, which is why it’s good to speak with licensed attorney near you. The information below represents common penalties, but may not be accurate for the City of La Crosse Municipal Court.
A violation is an offense that carries a penalty of $500 or less, while a misdemeanor can possess 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 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 $2,000 or spend up to six months in jail.
City of La Crosse Municipal Court Records
Municipal Court records from a municipal court could 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 matter they have before the court, where it’s at in the process, and what type of information is needed by law to be present.
FAQs ABOUT the City of La Crosse Municipal Court
What is municipal court in La Crosse, Wisconsin?
In Wisconsin, the municipal court is a lower court with civil and criminal jurisdiction within a town or municipality. Municipal courts have a small area of influence and have limited authority as well, dealing only with petty offenses and misdemeanors.
What does the municipal court handle in La Crosse, Wisconsin?
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. More serious cases/crimes are deal with by higher authorities.
How many judges does the City of La Crosse Municipal Court have?
The count of judges depends on the municipality’s population.
How are cases heard in municipal courts in Wisconsin?
A municipal court judge may be either elected or appointed to serve for a set duration or until retirement. Judges are sometimes elected by precincts with each precinct’s results weighted based on population. Municipal judges are generally not attorneys but have some legal education and must finish several hours of ongoing courses every year to maintain their licenses.