A municipal court is a court with small area of authority over criminal offenses and civil matters within its geographic area. These courts can be located at the county or city tier.
Steele Municipal Court INformation
Court: Steele Municipal Court
Address: “115 South Walnut, Steele, MO 63877”
Phone: 573-695-3170
City: Steele
County: Pemiscot
State: Missouri
What is the role of the Steele Municipal Court?
Municipal Courts are routinely called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” Which means that they work with minor crimes, civil matters, and traffic incidents. Courts like Steele Municipal Court are the first level of court for this group of matters.
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 divorce or other family matters, personal injury, more serious criminal charges, or lawsuits.
County courts have the jurisdiction to deal with misdemeanors and civil actions that can not exceed the amount of $15k, while the circuits courts handle felonies and larger civil matters.
TYPES OF CASES adjudicated IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Steele, 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 locales share municipal courts with other municipalities.
This can be done to better assist their population or to save money on costs. The cases that could be heard by a municipal court depend on the municipality, but typically include traffic violations, low level criminal charges and code violations.
You will not see a set definition for what constitutes a misdemeanor charge versus a felony crime, but generally speaking felonies would require more time in jail than misdemeanor crimes 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 Steele?
Judges preside over hearings to determine:
- Probable cause for an arrest
- Set bail amounts and terms of release
- Conduct arraignment hearings when charges are filed against individuals by police officers
- Issue search warrants to law enforcement officers in order to secure evidence from crime scenes
- Conduct preliminary examinations to understand if there is enough evidence to mount a charge
The common process of a Municipal Court matter
Step One: An Issuance of Summons
Step Two: Show Up before Judge or Magistrate
Municipal Court Penalties in Steele, 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 accurate for the Steele Municipal Court.
A violation is an offense that carries a penalty of $500 or below, while a misdemeanor can have penalties up to $1,000.00 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 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 will be fined up to $2,000 or spend up to six months in jail.
Steele 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 matter they have before the court, what stage it is at in the process, and what kind of of information is required by law to be present.
Common Questions ABOUT the Steele Municipal Court
What is municipal court in Steele, Missouri?
In Missouri, the municipal court is a lower court with civil and criminal jurisdiction within a town or municipality. Municipal courts thus have a small area of influence and have limited authority as well, dealing only with petty charges and misdemeanors.
What does the municipal court handle in Steele, Missouri?
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 Steele Municipal Court have?
The number 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 precincts with each precinct’s results weighted based on population. Municipal magistrates are often not lawyers but have some legal training and must complete several hours of continuing courses every year to maintain their licenses.