City of Racine Municipal Court – Racine, WI

Oct 28, 2021

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

City of Racine Municipal Court INformation

Court: City of Racine Municipal Court
Address: “800 Center Street, Racine, WI 53403”
Phone: 262-636-9263

City: Racine
County: Racine
State: Wisconsin

What is the purpose of the City of Racine Municipal Court?

Municipal Courts are commonly called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” This means that they deal with minor crimes, civil disputes, and traffic tickets. Courthouses like City of Racine 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 family matters, personal injury cases, more serious criminal charges, or lawsuits.

County courts have the jurisdiction to deal with misdemeanors and civil matters that can not exceed the amount of $15,000, while the circuits courts handle felonies and more expansive civil matters.

TYPES OF CASES adjudicated IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Racine, Wisconsin

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 jurisdictions share municipal courts with other municipalities.

This can be done to better help their people or to save money on overhead costs. The cases that could be heard by a municipal court depend on the municipality, but typically include traffic crimes, small criminal charges and code violations.

You will not find a standard for what constitutes a misdemeanor charge 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 Racine?

Municipal courts are the entry 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 handled 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.

Magistrates preside over hearings to determine:

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

The common process of a Municipal Court Case

The process of a municipal courthouse case can be tricky. The following is an overview of the steps involved in a typical municipal court matter.

Step One: An Issuance of Summons

A summons is issued when an individual has been charged with violating a town ordinance or state law. The individual 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 fail to appear, they may be found guilty anyways and could be fined up to $1,000.00 or given a jail term if it’s a serious enough offense.

Step Two: Show Up before Judge or Magistrate

If someone fails to respond after being summoned by the judge, there may be a warrant issued for the person.

Municipal Court Penalties in Racine, WI

Penalties change often, which is why it’s best to speak with licensed attorney near you. The information below represents common penalties, but may not be 100% accurate for the City of Racine Municipal Court.

A violation is an offense that carries a penalty of $500 or below, while a misdemeanor crime can have 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 courts vary depending on the severity of an charges. For example, if you are caught with marijuana without having a prescription for it then you could be fined up to $2k or spend up to six months in jail.

City of Racine 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 matter they have before the court, what stage it is at in the process, and what kind of of information is needed by law to be present.

FAQs ABOUT the City of Racine Municipal Court

What is municipal court in Racine, Wisconsin?

In Wisconsin, the municipal court is a lower level with civil and criminal matters within a city or municipality. Municipal courts thus 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 Racine, Wisconsin?

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 deal with by higher authorities.

How many judges does the City of Racine Municipal Court have?

The number 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 term of years or until they retire. Judges are sometimes chosen by the people with each precinct’s results weighted based on the number of people. Municipal judges are generally not lawyers but have some legal training and must finish multiple hours of continuing material every period to maintain their credentials.