Leedey Municipal Court – Leedey, OK

Oct 26, 2021

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

Leedey Municipal Court INformation

Court: Leedey Municipal Court
Address: “619 South Main Street, PO Box 337, Leedey, OK 73654”
Phone: 580-488-3616

City: Leedey
County: Dewey
State: Oklahoma

What is the purpose of the Leedey Municipal Court?

Municipal Courts are routinely called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” Which means that they work with minor criminal charges, civil matters, and traffic incidents. Courts like Leedey 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 law matters, personal injury, more serious criminal charges, or lawsuits.

County courthouses have the jurisdiction to deal with misdemeanors and civil matters that can’t exceed the amount of $15,000, while the circuits courts handle felonies and bigger civil matters.

TYPES OF CASES HEARD IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Leedey, Oklahoma

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 places share municipal courts with other municipalities.

This can be done to better serve their population or to save money on administrative costs. The matters that will be heard by a municipal court depend on the municipality, but typically include traffic matters, low level criminal charges and code infractions.

You will not find a standard for what establishes a misdemeanor versus a felony, 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 Leedey?

Municipal courts are the entry level of the court system in the United States. They have jurisdiction over minor crimes, traffic matters, and other civil matters. Municipal courts are often known as city courts or town courts. Matters are managed by a magistrate who is usually a lawyer, judge, or retired judge. Magistrates may be appointed by the mayor or city council members to serve for a specific duration.

Magistrates administer hearings to determine:

Probable cause for arrest
Set bail amounts and conditions of release
Conduct arraignment hearings when charges are filed against individuals by police officers
Distribute search warrants to law enforcement officers in order to seize evidence from crime scenes
Conduct preliminary examinations to understand if there is enough evidence to charge

The usual process of a Municipal Court Case

The common process of a municipal courthouse case can be complicated. The following material is an overview of the steps involved in a typical municipal court case.

Step One: Issuance of Summons

A summons is sent when a person has been charged with violating a city rule or state law. The individual who has received the summons from the court will need to show up at their assigned time and courthouse, which is usually the municipal courtroom, to answer for the charge(s) against them. If they don’t come, they may be found guilty in absentia 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 person.

Municipal Court Penalties in Leedey, OK

Penalties change often, which is why it’s best to speak with licensed lawyer. The material below represents common penalties, but may not be accurate for the Leedey Municipal Court.

A violation is an offense that has a penalty of $500 or below, while a misdemeanor can possess 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 charges in municipal courthouses 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.

Leedey Municipal Court 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 an individual might need to depend on the type of case they have in front of the court, what stage it is at in the process, and what type of information is required by law to be present.

Questions ABOUT the Leedey Municipal Court

What is municipal court in Leedey, Oklahoma?

In Oklahoma, the municipal court is a lower level with civil and criminal matters within a town or municipality. Municipal courts thus have a small jurisdiction and have limited authority as well, dealing only with petty offenses and misdemeanor crimes.

What does the municipal court handle in Leedey, Oklahoma?

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. Serious cases/crimes are deal with by higher authorities.

How many judges does the Leedey Municipal Court have?

The count of judges depends on the municipality’s population.

How are cases heard in municipal courts in Oklahoma?

A municipal courthouse judge may be either elected or appointed to serve for a set term of years or until they retire. Judges are sometimes chosen by precincts with each precinct’s results evaluated according to the number of people. Municipal judges are generally not attorneys but have some legal training and must complete several hours of ongoing courses every period to maintain their licenses.