City of La Crosse Municipal Court – La Crosse, WI

Oct 28, 2021

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?

Municipal courts are the lowest level 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. Cases are managed by a magistrate who is usually an attorney, judge, or retired judge. Magistrates may be appointed by the mayor or city council members to help for a specific time period.

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

The common process of a municipal court case can be tricky. The following material is an overview of the common items involved in a regular municipal court matter.

First Step: Issuance of Summons

A summons from the court is given when a person has been charged with violating a local rule or state law. The citizen who has received the summons will need to show up at their assigned time and location, which is usually the municipal courtroom, to respond for the charge(s) against them. If they don’t appear, they may be found guilty in absentia and could be fined up to $1,000.00 or sentenced to jail time if it’s a serious enough offense.

Step Two: Show Up 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 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.