A municipal court is a court with limited area of authority over criminal charges and civil disputes within its geographic area. These courts can be found at the city or county level.
Mound Valley Municipal Court INformation
Court: Mound Valley Municipal Court
Address: “411 Hickory Street, PO Box 164, Mound Valley, KS 67354”
Phone: 620-328-3411
City: Mound Valley
County: Labette
State: Kansas
What is the purpose of the Mound Valley Municipal Court?
Municipal Courts are often called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” Which means that they handle minor criminal charges, civil matters, and traffic incidents. Courthouses like Mound Valley Municipal Court are the first level of court for this group of matters.
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 divorce or other family matters, injury cases, more serious criminal charges, or lawsuits.
County courthouses have the jurisdiction to deal with misdemeanors and civil matters that won’t exceed the amount of $15,000.00, while the circuits courts handle felony matters and larger civil matters.
TYPES OF Matters seen IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Mound Valley, Kansas
Municipal courts are the entry level of courts 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 help their population or to save money on administrative costs. The matters that may be heard by a municipal court depend on the municipality, but typically include traffic violations, low level criminal charges and code infractions.
You will not find a standard for what makes a misdemeanor crime 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 is the procedure for cases in the municipal court in Mound Valley?
Magistrates preside over 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
- Issue search warrants to law enforcement officers in order to seize evidence from crime scenes
- Conduct preliminary examinations to establish if there is enough evidence to charge
The common process of a Municipal Court Case
First Step: Issuance of Summons
Second Step: Appearance before Judge or Magistrate
Municipal Court Penalties in Mound Valley, KS
Penalties change often, which is why it’s good to speak with licensed lawyer near you. The information below represents common penalties, but may not be accurate for the Mound Valley Municipal Court.
A violation is an offense that carries 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 charges. For example, if you are caught with marijuana without having a prescription for it then you will be fined up to $2,000 or spend up to six months in jail.
Mound Valley 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 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 required by law to be present.
Common Questions ABOUT the Mound Valley Municipal Court
What is municipal court in Mound Valley, Kansas?
In Kansas, the municipal court is a lower level with civil and criminal matters within a town or municipality. Municipal courts have a small jurisdiction and have limited authority as well, dealing only with petty offenses and misdemeanor charges.
What does the municipal court handle in Mound Valley, Kansas?
Depending on the scope 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 Mound Valley Municipal Court have?
The number of judges depends on the municipality’s size.
How are cases heard in municipal courts in Kansas?
A municipal court judge may be either elected or appointed to serve for a set duration or until they retire. Judges are sometimes chosen by precincts with each precinct’s results evaluated based on the number of people. Municipal judges are generally not attorneys but have some legal education and must complete many hours of ongoing material every period to maintain their credentials.