Montesano Municipal Court – Montesano, WA

Oct 28, 2021

A municipal court is a court with limited area of authority over criminal offenses and civil disputes within its location. These courts can be found at the city or county tier.

Montesano Municipal Court INformation

Court: Montesano Municipal Court
Address: “112 N Main Street, Montesano, WA 98563”
Phone: 360-249-4245

City: Montesano
County: Grays Harbor
State: Washington

What is the role of the Montesano Municipal Court?

Municipal Courts are often called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” This means that they handle minor criminal charges, civil disputes, and traffic matters. Courts like Montesano 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, personal injury, more serious criminal infractions, or contract disputes.

County courthouses have the jurisdiction to deal with misdemeanors and civil actions that can not exceed the amount of $15,000, while the circuits courts handle felony matters and bigger civil cases.

TYPES OF Legal Matters seen IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Montesano, Washington

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 jurisdictions share municipal courts with other municipalities.

This can be done to better serve their population 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, small criminal charges and code violations.

There is no set definition for what constitutes a misdemeanor versus a felony charge, 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

how are cases managed in the municipal court in Montesano?

Municipal courts are the first level of the court system in the United States. They have jurisdiction over minor crimes, traffic matters, and other civil matters. Municipal courts are have often been called city courts or town courts. Cases are handled 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 time.

Magistrates administer hearings to determine:

Probable cause for arrest
Set bail amounts and conditions of release
Conduct arraignment hearings when charges are filed against defendants by police officers
Issue search warrants to police officers in order to protect evidence from crime locations
start preliminary examinations to learn if there is enough evidence to issue a charge

The typical process of a Municipal Court matter

The process of a municipal courthouse case can be tricky. The next portion is an overview of the steps involved in a regular municipal court case.

Step One: An Issuance of Summons

A summons from the court is issued when a person has been charged with violating a local ordinance or state law. The citizen who has received the summons from the court will need to be present at their assigned time and courthouse, which is usually the municipal courtroom, to answer for the charge(s) against them. If they don’t show up, they may be found guilty in absentia and could be fined up to $1000 or sentenced to jail time if it’s a serious enough offense.

Step Two: 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 Montesano, WA

Penalties change often, which is why it’s good to speak with licensed attorney near you. The information below represents common penalties, but may not be accurate for the Montesano Municipal Court.

A violation is an offense that has a penalty of $500 or below, while a misdemeanor charge can possess penalties up to $1,000.00 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 offenses. For example, if you are caught with marijuana without having a prescription for it then you could be fined up to $2k or spend up to six months in jail.

Montesano Municipal Court Records

Municipal Court records from a municipal court 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 kind of of information is needed by law to be present.

Questions ABOUT the Montesano Municipal Court

What is municipal court in Montesano, Washington?

In Washington, the municipal court is a lower court 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 charges and misdemeanors.

What does the municipal court handle in Montesano, Washington?

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 Montesano Municipal Court have?

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

How are cases heard in municipal courts in Washington?

A municipal courthouse judge may be either elected or appointed to serve for a set term of years or until retirement. Judges are sometimes chosen by precincts with each precinct’s results weighted according to population. Municipal judges are often not attorneys but have some legal training and must complete several hours of continuing material every year to maintain their licenses.