Clark Municipal Division – Huntsville, MO

Oct 26, 2021

A municipal court is a court with restrictive area of authority over criminal offenses and civil disputes inside its location. These courts can be located at the county or city level.

Clark Municipal Division INformation

Court: Clark Municipal Division
Address: “Randolph County Courthouse 372 Highway JJ, Suite 1A, Huntsville, MO 65259”
Phone: 844-277-6555 ext. 400

City: Huntsville
County: Randolph
State: Missouri

What is the role of the Clark Municipal Division?

Municipal Courts are commonly called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” Which means that they deal with minor criminal charges, civil cases, and traffic matters. Courts like Clark Municipal Division 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 infractions, or breaches of contract.

County courthouses have the jurisdiction to deal with misdemeanors and civil matters that won’t exceed the amount of $15,000.00, while the circuits courts handle felonies and bigger civil cases.

TYPES OF Matters seen IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Huntsville, Missouri

Municipal courts are the lowest level of courts 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 serve their people or to save money on overhead costs. The cases that may be heard by a municipal court vary depending on the municipality, but typically include traffic matters, criminal misdemeanors and code infractions.

There is no set definition for what makes a misdemeanor crime 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

How are cases handled in the municipal court in Huntsville?

Municipal courts are the first tier of the court system in the United States. They have jurisdiction over minor crimes, traffic matters, and other civil matters. Municipal courts are have often been called 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 board to assist for a specific time period.

Judges administer hearings to determine:

Probable cause for an arrest
Set bail amounts and conditions of release
Conduct arraignment hearings when charges are filed against defendants by police officers
Distribute search warrants to law enforcement officers in order to protect evidence from crime scenes
Conduct preliminary inquiries to learn if there is enough evidence to mount a charge

The usual process of a Municipal Court Case

The common process of a municipal court case can be difficult to navigate. The following material is an overview of the steps involved in a regular municipal court matter.

Step One: Issuance of Summons

A summons from the court is given when a person has been charged with violating a city rule or state law. The citizen who has received the summons will need to appear at their assigned time and place, 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 $1000 or given a jail term if it’s a serious enough offense.

Second Step: 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 individual.

Municipal Court Penalties in Huntsville, MO

Penalties change often, which is why it’s good to speak with licensed attorney. The material below represents common penalties, but may not be accurate for the Clark Municipal Division.

A violation is an offense that has a penalty of $500 or below, while a misdemeanor crime can carry penalties up to $1,000.00 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 crimes in municipal courthouses vary depending on the severity of an offenses. For example, if you are caught with marijuana without having a license for it then you will be fined up to $2,000 or spend up to six months in jail.

Clark Municipal Division Records

Municipal Court records from a municipal government may be difficult to find because they are not always stored in one location or system. The records that a person might need to depend on the type of charge they have in front of the court, where it’s at in the process, and what type of information is needed by law to be available.

Questions ABOUT the Clark Municipal Division

What is municipal court in Huntsville, Missouri?

In Missouri, the municipal court is a lower court with civil and criminal jurisdiction within a city or municipality. Municipal courts will have a small jurisdiction and have limited authority as well, dealing only with petty charges and misdemeanors.

What does the municipal court handle in Huntsville, Missouri?

Depending on the size 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 Clark Municipal Division have?

The number of judges depends on the municipality’s size.

How are cases heard in municipal courts in Missouri?

A municipal court judge may be either elected or appointed to serve for a set duration or until retirement. Judges are sometimes chosen by the people with each precinct’s results evaluated according to the number of people. Municipal magistrates are often not attorneys but have some legal education and must complete many hours of continuing courses every period to maintain their licenses.