A municipal court is a court with small jurisdiction over criminal charges and civil disputes within its location. These courts can be found at the county or city tier.
City of St. Croix Falls Municipal Court INformation
Court: City of St. Croix Falls Municipal Court
Address: “710 Highway 35 South, St. Croix Falls, WI 54024”
Phone: 715-483-1533
City: St. Croix Falls
County: Polk
State: Wisconsin
What is the role of the City of St. Croix Falls Municipal Court?
Municipal Courts are often called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” Which means that they deal with minor crimes, civil disputes, and traffic tickets. Courts like City of St. Croix Falls Municipal Court are the first level of court for this group of matters.
On the other hand, the role of a county court is to deal with a large number of civil disputes within the respective region. Most cases involve family matters, accident cases, more serious criminal infractions, or contract disputes.
County courts have the jurisdiction to deal with misdemeanors and civil actions that won’t exceed the amount of $15k, while the circuits courts handle felony matters and larger civil cases.
TYPES OF Legal Matters adjudicated IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin
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 places share municipal courts with other municipalities.
This can be done to better service their citizens or to save money on administrative costs. The matters that could be heard by a municipal court depend on the municipality, but typically include traffic matters, low level criminal charges and code infractions.
You will not see a set definition for what constitutes a misdemeanor crime versus a felony crime, but generally speaking felonies would require more time in jail than misdemeanor crimes 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 St. Croix Falls?
Judges manage hearings to determine:
- Probable cause for an arrest
- Set bail amounts and conditions of release
- Conduct arraignment hearings when charges are filed against individuals by police officers
- Issue search warrants to police officers in order to secure evidence from crime scenes
- start preliminary examinations to establish if there is enough evidence to mount a charge
The common process of a Municipal Court matter
Step One: Issuance of Summons
Step Two: Show Up before Judge or Magistrate
Municipal Court Penalties in St. Croix Falls, WI
Penalties change often, which is why it’s best to speak with licensed lawyer. The material below represents common penalties, but may not be accurate for the City of St. Croix Falls Municipal Court.
A violation is a crime that has a penalty of $500 or less, while a misdemeanor crime can have penalties up to $1000 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 charges in municipal courthouses 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 St. Croix Falls Municipal Court Records
Municipal Court records from a municipal court may be difficult to find because they are not always stored in one area or system. The records that an individual might need to depend on the type of case they have in front of the court, what stage it is at in the process, and what kind of of information is needed by law to be available.
Questions ABOUT the City of St. Croix Falls Municipal Court
What is municipal court in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin?
In Wisconsin, the municipal court is a lower level 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 misdemeanor charges.
What does the municipal court handle in St. Croix Falls, 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 handled by higher authorities.
How many judges does the City of St. Croix Falls Municipal Court have?
The count of judges depends on the municipality’s size.
How are cases heard in municipal courts in Wisconsin?
A municipal courthouse judge may be either elected or appointed to serve for a set term of years or until they retire. Judges are sometimes elected by the people with each precinct’s results evaluated according to population. Municipal magistrates are generally not attorneys but have some legal training and must complete several hours of ongoing courses every period to maintain their licenses.
