A municipal court is a court with small jurisdiction over criminal charges and civil matters within its location. These courts can be located at the county or city tier.
De Soto Municipal Court INformation
Court: De Soto Municipal Court
Address: “32905 West 84th Street, PO Box C, De Soto, KS 66018”
Phone: 913-586-5290
City: De Soto
County: Johnson
State: Kansas
What is the purpose of the De Soto Municipal Court?
Municipal Courts are commonly called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” Which means that they deal with minor crimes, civil disputes, and traffic incidents. Courts like De Soto 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, accident cases, more serious criminal infractions, or lawsuits.
County courts 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 matters.
TYPES OF Matters seen IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in De Soto, Kansas
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 jurisdictions share municipal courts with other municipalities.
This can be done to better help 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 matters, low level crimes and code violations.
You will not find a standard for what constitutes a misdemeanor charge versus a felony charge, 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 De Soto?
Magistrates manage hearings to determine:
- Probable cause for arrest
- Set bail amounts and terms 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 locations
- start preliminary inquiries to determine if there is enough evidence to charge
The usual process of a Municipal Court Case
Step One: Issuance of Summons
Step Two: Appearance before Judge or Magistrate
Municipal Court Penalties in De Soto, KS
Penalties change often, which is why it’s good to speak with licensed lawyer. The material below represents common penalties, but may not be 100% accurate for the De Soto Municipal Court.
A violation is an offense that carries a penalty of $500 or below, while a misdemeanor crime can have penalties up to $1k 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 crimes. 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.
De Soto Municipal Court Records
Municipal Court records from a municipal government could 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 matter they have in front of the court, what stage it is at in the process, and what type of information is needed by law to be present.
Questions ABOUT the De Soto Municipal Court
What is municipal court in De Soto, Kansas?
In Kansas, the municipal court is a lower level with civil and criminal matters within a city or municipality. Municipal courts will have a small location and have limited authority as well, dealing only with petty charges and misdemeanor crimes.
What does the municipal court handle in De Soto, Kansas?
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 De Soto Municipal Court have?
The count of judges depends on the municipality’s size.
How are cases heard in municipal courts in Kansas?
A municipal court judge may be either elected or appointed to serve for a set duration or until they retire. Judges are commonly elected by precincts with each precinct’s results evaluated according to the number of people. Municipal magistrates are generally not attorneys but have some legal education and must complete several hours of ongoing courses every year to maintain their credentials.