Village of Cross Plains Municipal Court – Cross Plains, WI

Oct 28, 2021

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

Village of Cross Plains Municipal Court INformation

Court: Village of Cross Plains Municipal Court
Address: “2417 Brewery Road, Cross Plains, WI 53528”
Phone: 608-798-4101

City: Cross Plains
County: Dane
State: Wisconsin

What is the purpose of the Village of Cross Plains Municipal Court?

Municipal Courts are routinely called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” Which means that they handle minor criminal charges, civil disputes, and traffic incidents. Courthouses like Village of Cross Plains Municipal Court are the first level of court for this group of matters.

On the other hand, the purpose of a county court is to deal with a large number of civil disputes within the respective region. Most cases involve family law matters, personal injury, more serious criminal charges, or breaches of contract.

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

TYPES OF CASES HEARD IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Cross Plains, Wisconsin

Municipal courts are the bottom rung 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 service their people or to save money on costs. The matters that could be heard by a municipal court can change based on on the municipality, but typically include traffic violations, low level criminal charges and code infractions.

You will not see a set definition for what constitutes a misdemeanor crime 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

what is the procedure for cases in the municipal court in Cross Plains?

Municipal courts are the first level of the court system in the United States. They have jurisdiction over minor crimes, traffic matters, and other civil matters. Municipal courts are have often been called 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 assist for a specific time.

Magistrates administer hearings to determine:

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

The Process of a Municipal Court matter

The common process of a municipal courthouse case can be tricky. The following material is an overview of the common items involved in a regular municipal court case.

Step One: 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 person who has received the court summons will need to appear at their assigned time and courthouse, which is usually the municipal courtroom, to respond for the charge(s) against them. If they never appear, 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.

Second Step: Appearance 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 Cross Plains, WI

Penalties change often, which is why it’s best to speak with licensed lawyer. The material below represents common penalties, but may not be 100% accurate for the Village of Cross Plains Municipal Court.

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

Village of Cross Plains Municipal Court Records

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

Questions ABOUT the Village of Cross Plains Municipal Court

What is municipal court in Cross Plains, Wisconsin?

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

What does the municipal court handle in Cross Plains, Wisconsin?

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. Serious cases/crimes are handled by higher authorities.

How many judges does the Village of Cross Plains Municipal Court have?

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

How are cases heard in municipal courts in Wisconsin?

A municipal courthouse judge may be either elected or appointed to serve for a set duration or until they retire. Judges are commonly chosen by precincts with each precinct’s results judged according to the number of people. Municipal judges are often not attorneys but have some legal education and must finish multiple hours of ongoing courses every period to maintain their licenses.