A municipal court is a court with small jurisdiction over criminal charges and civil disputes within its area. These courts can be found at the city or county level.
Kinsley Municipal Court INformation
Court: Kinsley Municipal Court
Address: “721 Marsh Avenue, PO Box 7, Kinsley, KS 67547”
Phone: 620-659-3611
City: Kinsley
County: Edwards
State: Kansas
What is the role of the Kinsley Municipal Court?
Municipal Courts are routinely called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” This means that they deal with minor crimes, civil matters, and traffic incidents. Courthouses like Kinsley Municipal Court are the first level of court for these types of cases.
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 law matters, personal injury, more serious criminal infractions, or contract disputes.
County courthouses have the jurisdiction to deal with misdemeanors and civil matters that won’t exceed the amount of $15,000, while the circuits courts handle felony cases and larger civil cases.
TYPES OF Matters seen IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Kinsley, Kansas
Municipal courts are the entry level of courthouses 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 service their citizens or to save money on administrative costs. The matters that will be heard by a municipal court vary depending on the municipality, but typically include traffic crimes, small criminal charges and code violations.
You will not see a set definition for what constitutes a misdemeanor versus a felony crime, but generally speaking felonies would require more time in jail than misdemeanors 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 Kinsley?
Magistrates 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 law enforcement officers in order to secure evidence from crime locations
- Conduct preliminary examinations to understand if there is enough evidence to issue a charge
The common process of a Municipal Court matter
Step One: An Issuance of Summons
Step Two: Appearance before Judge or Magistrate
Municipal Court Penalties in Kinsley, KS
Penalties change often, which is why it’s good to speak with licensed attorney near you. The material below represents common penalties, but may not be 100% accurate for the Kinsley Municipal Court.
A violation is a crime that carries a penalty of $500 or below, while a misdemeanor charge can possess penalties up to $1k 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 crimes in municipal courts vary depending on the severity of an crimes. For example, if you are caught with marijuana without having a prescription for it then you will be fined up to $2k or spend up to six months in jail.
Kinsley Municipal Court Records
Municipal Court records from a municipal court may be difficult to find because they are not always stored in one place or system. The records that an individual might need to depend on the type of charge they have before the court, where it’s at in the process, and what type of information is required by law to be available.
Questions ABOUT the Kinsley Municipal Court
What is municipal court in Kinsley, Kansas?
In Kansas, the municipal court is a lower court with civil and criminal matters within a town 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 Kinsley, Kansas?
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 handled by higher authorities.
How many judges does the Kinsley Municipal Court have?
The count of judges depends on the municipality’s population.
How are cases heard in municipal courts in Kansas?
A municipal courthouse judge may be either elected or appointed to serve for a set duration or until retirement. Judges are commonly elected by the people with each precinct’s results judged based on the number of people. Municipal magistrates are often not lawyers but have some legal training and must finish multiple hours of ongoing courses every period to maintain their licenses.