A municipal court is a court with limited area of authority over criminal charges and civil disputes inside its location. These courts can be located at the city or county level.
Hocking County Municipal Court INformation
Court: Hocking County Municipal Court
Address: “Hocking County Courthouse 105 W Hunter St, PO Box 950, Logan, OH 43138”
Phone: 740-385-2250
City: Logan
County: Hocking
State: Ohio
What is the role of the Hocking County Municipal Court?
Municipal Courts are routinely called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” This means that they work with minor criminal charges, civil disputes, and traffic violations. Courthouses like Hocking County Municipal Court are the first level of court for this group of matters.
In other situations, 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, personal injury cases, more serious criminal charges, or breaches of contract.
County courts have the jurisdiction to deal with misdemeanors and civil actions that can’t exceed the amount of $15,000, while the circuits courts handle felony cases and larger civil matters.
TYPES OF affairs seen IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Logan, Ohio
Municipal courts are the lowest 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 assist their population or to save money on overhead costs. The matters that may be heard by a municipal court vary depending on the municipality, but typically include traffic tickets, criminal misdemeanors and code infractions.
There is no set definition for what establishes a misdemeanor versus a felony crime, 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 Logan?
Magistrates manage hearings to determine:
- Probable cause for arrest
- Set bail amounts and the 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 locations
- Conduct preliminary inquiries to establish if there is enough evidence to charge
The Process of a Municipal Court Case
First Step: Issuance of Summons
Second Step: Show Up before Judge or Magistrate
Municipal Court Penalties in Logan, OH
Penalties change often, which is why it’s best to speak with licensed lawyer near you. The information below represents common penalties, but may not be accurate for the Hocking County Municipal Court.
A violation is an offense that has a penalty of $500 or less, while a misdemeanor charge can carry 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 crimes in municipal courthouses vary depending on the severity of an crimes. For example, if you are caught with marijuana without having a medical prescription for it then you could be fined up to $2,000 or spend up to six months in jail.
Hocking County Municipal Court Records
Municipal Court records from a municipal government could be difficult to find because they are not always stored in one area or system. The records that a person might need to depend on the type of case they have before the court, what stage it is at in the process, and what type of information is needed by law to be present.
Common Questions ABOUT the Hocking County Municipal Court
What is municipal court in Logan, Ohio?
In Ohio, the municipal court is a lower court 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 misdemeanor crimes.
What does the municipal court handle in Logan, Ohio?
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 Hocking County Municipal Court have?
The count of judges depends on the municipality’s size.
How are cases heard in municipal courts in Ohio?
A municipal courthouse judge may be either elected or appointed to serve for a set term of years or until retirement. 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 complete multiple hours of continuing courses every period to maintain their licenses.