Pineville Municipal Division – Pineville, MO

Oct 26, 2021

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

Pineville Municipal Division INformation

Court: Pineville Municipal Division
Address: “City Hall 503 Main Street, PO Box 592, Pineville, MO 64856”
Phone: 417-223-4368 ext. 101

City: Pineville
County: McDonald
State: Missouri

What is the purpose of the Pineville Municipal Division?

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

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

TYPES OF CASES adjudicated IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Pineville, Missouri

Municipal courts are the lowest level of courthouses in the U.S.. 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 people or to save money on expenditures. The cases that may be heard by a municipal court depend on the municipality, but typically include traffic crimes, low level criminal charges and code infractions.

There is no set definition for what establishes a misdemeanor versus a felony case, 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 Pineville?

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

Judges administer hearings to determine:

Probable cause for an arrest
Set bail amounts and terms of release
Conduct arraignment hearings when charges are filed against defendants by police officers
Distribute search warrants to law enforcement officers in order to seize evidence from crime locations
start preliminary examinations to establish if there is enough evidence to issue a charge

The typical process of a Municipal Court matter

The common path of a municipal court case can be difficult to navigate. The following material is an overview of the common items involved in a regular municipal court case.

First Step: Issuance of Summons

A summons is sent when a person has been charged with violating a city rule or state law. The person 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 $1,000.00 or sentenced to jail time if it’s a serious enough offense.

Step Two: Appearance before Judge or Magistrate

If someone fails to respond after being summoned by the judge, there may be a warrant issued for the individual.

Municipal Court Penalties in Pineville, MO

Penalties change often, which is why it’s best to speak with licensed lawyer near you. The material below represents common penalties, but may not be 100% accurate for the Pineville Municipal Division.

A violation is a crime that has a penalty of $500 or below, while a misdemeanor crime can possess penalties up to $1000 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 could be fined up to $2,000 or spend up to six months in jail.

Pineville Municipal Division Records

Municipal Court records from a municipal government 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 matter they have before the court, what stage it is at in the process, and what type of information is needed by law to be present.

Common Questions ABOUT the Pineville Municipal Division

What is municipal court in Pineville, Missouri?

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

What does the municipal court handle in Pineville, Missouri?

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 handled by higher authorities.

How many judges does the Pineville Municipal Division 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 duration or until they retire. Judges are sometimes elected by the people with each precinct’s results evaluated based on population. Municipal judges are often not lawyers but have some legal education and must complete many hours of ongoing education every year to maintain their licenses.