Napoleon Municipal Court – Lexington, MO

Oct 26, 2021

A municipal court is a court with limited jurisdiction over criminal offenses and civil disputes within its location. These courts can be located at the city or county level.

Napoleon Municipal Court INformation

Court: Napoleon Municipal Court
Address: “Lafayette Hall 116 South 10th Street, PO Box 10, Lexington, MO 64067”
Phone: 816-259-6101

City: Lexington
County: Lafayette
State: Missouri

What is the role of the Napoleon Municipal Court?

Municipal Courts are often called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” This means that they handle minor criminal charges, civil cases, and traffic matters. Courts like Napoleon Municipal Court are the first level of court for these types of cases.

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, personal injury, more serious criminal infractions, or breaches of contract.

County courts have the jurisdiction to deal with misdemeanors and civil actions that can’t exceed the amount of $15,000.00, while the circuits courts handle felony matters and larger civil matters.

TYPES OF affairs HEARD IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Lexington, Missouri

Municipal courts are the bottom rung 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 serve their population or to save money on expenditures. The cases that will be heard by a municipal court vary depending on the municipality, but typically include traffic crimes, criminal misdemeanors and code infractions.

You will not see a set definition for what establishes a misdemeanor versus a felony, 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

how are cases managed in the municipal court in Lexington?

Municipal courts are the first level of the court system in the United States. They have jurisdiction over minor crimes, traffic violations, and other civil matters. Municipal courts are popularly known 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 help for a specific time period.

Magistrates preside over hearings to determine:

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

The Process of a Municipal Court Case

The process of a municipal courthouse case can be difficult to navigate. The next portion is an overview of the steps involved in a typical municipal court matter.

First Step: An Issuance of Summons

A summons from the court is issued when an individual has been charged with violating a city ordinance or state law. The citizen 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 appear, they may be found guilty in absentia and could be fined up to $1,000.00 or given a jail sentence if it’s a serious enough offense.

Step Two: Show Up before Judge or Magistrate

If someone fails to show up after being summoned by the judge, there may be a warrant issued for the person.

Municipal Court Penalties in Lexington, MO

Penalties change often, which is why it’s best to speak with licensed attorney. The information below represents common penalties, but may not be 100% accurate for the Napoleon 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 medical prescription for it then you will be fined up to $2,000 or spend up to six months in jail.

Napoleon Municipal Court Records

Municipal Court records from a municipal court 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 charge they have in front of the court, where it’s at in the process, and what kind of of information is required by law to be available.

Questions ABOUT the Napoleon Municipal Court

What is municipal court in Lexington, Missouri?

In Missouri, the municipal court is a lower level with civil and criminal jurisdiction within a city or municipality. Municipal courts will have a small area of influence and have limited authority as well, dealing only with petty crimes and misdemeanors.

What does the municipal court handle in Lexington, Missouri?

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

How many judges does the Napoleon Municipal Court have?

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

How are cases heard in municipal courts in Missouri?

A municipal court judge may be either elected or appointed to serve for a set term of years or until retirement. Judges are commonly chosen by the people with each precinct’s results judged based on the number of people. Municipal judges are generally not lawyers but have some legal education and must complete multiple hours of continuing courses every year to maintain their credentials.