Ste. Genevieve Municipal Court – Ste. Genevieve, MO

Oct 26, 2021

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

Ste. Genevieve Municipal Court INformation

Court: Ste. Genevieve Municipal Court
Address: “165 South 4th Street, Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670”
Phone: 573-883-5400

City: Ste. Genevieve
County: Ste. Genevieve
State: Missouri

What is the role of the Ste. Genevieve Municipal Court?

Municipal Courts are often called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” Which means that they handle minor crimes, civil matters, and traffic matters. Courts like Ste. Genevieve Municipal Court are the first level of court for this group of matters.

On the other hand, 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, more serious criminal charges, or lawsuits.

County courthouses have the jurisdiction to deal with misdemeanors and civil actions that won’t exceed the amount of $15,000.00, while the circuits courts handle felonies and more expansive civil matters.

TYPES OF Matters adjudicated IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Ste. Genevieve, 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 assist their citizens or to save money on administrative costs. The matters that could be heard by a municipal court vary depending on the municipality, but typically include traffic tickets, small criminal charges and code infractions.

You will not see a set definition for what makes a misdemeanor crime versus a felony crime, 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 Ste. Genevieve?

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. Cases are handled by a magistrate who is usually an attorney, judge, or retired judge. Magistrates may be appointed by the mayor or city council board to serve for a specific duration.

Judges administer hearings to determine:

Probable cause for arrest
Set bail amounts and conditions of release
Conduct arraignment hearings when charges are filed against suspects by police officers
Distribute search warrants to law enforcement officers in order to protect evidence from crime scenes
start preliminary inquiries to determine if there is enough evidence to issue a charge

The common 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 matter.

First Step: An Issuance of Summons

A court summons is given when someone has been charged with violating a local rule or state law. The citizen who has received the court summons will need to appear at their assigned time and place, which is usually the municipal courtroom, to respond for the charge(s) against them. If they fail to appear, they may be found guilty anyways 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 show up after being summoned by the judge, there may be a warrant issued for the person.

Municipal Court Penalties in Ste. Genevieve, MO

Penalties change often, which is why it’s good to speak with licensed lawyer. The information below represents common penalties, but may not be 100% accurate for the Ste. Genevieve Municipal Court.

A violation is an offense that carries a penalty of $500 or below, while a misdemeanor charge 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 offenses in municipal courthouses vary depending on the severity of an crimes. 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.

Ste. Genevieve 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 an individual might need to depend on the type of case they have in front of the court, what stage it is at in the process, and what kind of of information is required by law to be present.

Questions ABOUT the Ste. Genevieve Municipal Court

What is municipal court in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri?

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

What does the municipal court handle in Ste. Genevieve, 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. More serious cases/crimes are deal with by higher authorities.

How many judges does the Ste. Genevieve 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 they retire. Judges are sometimes elected by the people with each precinct’s results evaluated based on the number of people. Municipal judges are generally not lawyers but have some legal training and must finish multiple hours of ongoing material every year to maintain their licenses.