A municipal court is a court with small jurisdiction over criminal charges and civil matters inside its location. These courts can be located at the city or county tier.
Fisk Municipal Division INformation
Court: Fisk Municipal Division
Address: “Butler County Courthouse 100 North Main Street, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901”
Phone: 573-686-8082
City: Poplar Bluff
County: Butler
State: Missouri
What is the purpose of the Fisk Municipal Division?
Municipal Courts are routinely called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” This means that they work with minor criminal charges, civil matters, and traffic incidents. Courts like Fisk Municipal Division are the first level of court for these types of cases.
In other situations, the purpose of a county court is to deal with a large number of civil disputes within the respective region. Most cases involve family law matters, personal injury, more serious criminal infractions, or breaches of contract.
County courts have the jurisdiction to deal with misdemeanors and civil matters that can not 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 Poplar Bluff, Missouri
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 locales share municipal courts with other municipalities.
This can be done to better service their citizens or to save money on costs. The matters that may be heard by a municipal court can change based on on the municipality, but typically include traffic matters, criminal misdemeanors and code infractions.
There is no set definition for what constitutes a misdemeanor 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’s the process for cases in the municipal court in Poplar Bluff?
Magistrates administer hearings to determine:
- Probable cause for an arrest
- Set bail amounts and terms of release
- Conduct arraignment hearings when charges are filed against individuals 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 issue a charge
The common process of a Municipal Court Case
First Step: Issuance of Summons
Step Two: Appearance before Judge or Magistrate
Municipal Court Penalties in Poplar Bluff, MO
Penalties change often, which is why it’s best to speak with licensed attorney. The material below represents common penalties, but may not be 100% accurate for the Fisk Municipal Division.
A violation is a crime that carries a penalty of $500 or less, while a misdemeanor crime can possess penalties up to $1,000.00 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 courts vary depending on the severity of an offenses. For example, if you are caught with marijuana without having a license for it then you could be fined up to $2,000 or spend up to six months in jail.
Fisk 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 matter they have before the court, what stage it is at in the process, and what type of information is required by law to be available.
FAQs ABOUT the Fisk Municipal Division
What is municipal court in Poplar Bluff, Missouri?
In Missouri, the municipal court is a lower level with civil and criminal matters within a city or municipality. Municipal courts have a small area of influence and have limited authority as well, dealing only with petty crimes and misdemeanor crimes.
What does the municipal court handle in Poplar Bluff, 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. Serious cases/crimes are deal with by higher authorities.
How many judges does the Fisk 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 term of years or until they retire. Judges are commonly elected by the people with each precinct’s results judged according to population. Municipal magistrates are often not attorneys but have some legal education and must finish several hours of continuing material every year to maintain their credentials.