Raymondville Municipal Court – Raymondville, TX

Oct 28, 2021

A municipal court is a court with restrictive jurisdiction over criminal charges and civil disputes within its area. These courts can be found at the county or city level.

Raymondville Municipal Court INformation

Court: Raymondville Municipal Court
Address: “142 S 7th St, 2nd Fl, Raymondville, TX 78580”
Phone: 956-689-6449

City: Raymondville
County: Willacy
State: Texas

What is the purpose of the Raymondville Municipal Court?

Municipal Courts are routinely called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” This means that they deal with minor crimes, civil disputes, and traffic tickets. Courthouses like Raymondville 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, personal injury cases, more serious criminal infractions, or lawsuits.

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

TYPES OF CASES adjudicated IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Raymondville, Texas

Municipal courts are the lowest level of courts 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 citizens or to save money on expenditures. The cases that could be heard by a municipal court can change based on on the municipality, but typically include traffic crimes, small criminal charges and code infractions.

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

How are cases handled in the municipal court in Raymondville?

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 board to serve for a specific time period.

Magistrates administer hearings to determine:

Probable cause for an arrest
Set bail amounts and terms of release
Conduct arraignment hearings when charges are filed against suspects by police officers
Issue search warrants to police officers in order to secure evidence from crime scenes
start preliminary examinations to determine if there is enough evidence to mount a charge

The typical process of a Municipal Court Case

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

First Step: Issuance of Summons

A summons from the court is issued when an individual has been charged with violating a local rule or state law. The individual who has received the summons from the court will need to appear at their assigned time and location, which is usually the municipal courtroom, to respond for the charge(s) against them. If they don’t come, they may be found guilty anyways and could be fined up to $1k or given a jail sentence 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 Raymondville, TX

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

A violation is a crime that carries a penalty of $500 or less, while a misdemeanor charge can carry penalties up to $1,000.00 or one year in 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 offenses in municipal courts vary depending on the severity of an offenses. For example, if you are caught with marijuana without having a license for it then you could be fined up to $2,000 or spend up to six months in jail.

Raymondville Municipal Court Records

Municipal Court records from a municipal government may be difficult to find because they are not always stored in one area or system. The records that an individual might need to depend on the type of charge they have before the court, where it’s at in the process, and what kind of of information is needed by law to be present.

Questions ABOUT the Raymondville Municipal Court

What is municipal court in Raymondville, Texas?

In Texas, the municipal court is a lower court with civil and criminal jurisdiction within a city or municipality. Municipal courts will have a small location and have limited authority as well, dealing only with petty charges and misdemeanors.

What does the municipal court handle in Raymondville, Texas?

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. More serious cases/crimes are handled by higher authorities.

How many judges does the Raymondville Municipal Court have?

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

How are cases heard in municipal courts in Texas?

A municipal court judge may be either elected or appointed to serve for a set term of years or until retirement. Judges are sometimes elected by the people with each precinct’s results weighted according to the number of people. Municipal magistrates are generally not attorneys but have some legal training and must finish multiple hours of continuing courses every year to maintain their licenses.