A municipal court is a court with small jurisdiction over criminal charges and civil disputes within its area. These courts can be found at the county or city level.
Village of Paddock Lake Municipal Court INformation
Court: Village of Paddock Lake Municipal Court
Address: “6969 236th Avenue, Paddock Lake, WI 53168”
Phone: 262-843-9314
City: Paddock Lake
County: Kenosha
State: Wisconsin
What is the purpose of the Village of Paddock Lake Municipal Court?
Municipal Courts are often called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” This means that they handle minor criminal charges, civil cases, and traffic matters. Courts like Village of Paddock Lake Municipal Court 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 divorce or other family matters, personal injury cases, more serious criminal charges, or contract disputes.
County courthouses 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 more expansive civil matters.
TYPES OF Legal Matters seen IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Paddock Lake, Wisconsin
Municipal courts are the entry level of courts in the United States. They are usually found within the jurisdiction where they are located, but some places share municipal courts with other municipalities.
This can be done to better help their population or to save money on administrative costs. The cases that will be heard by a municipal court vary depending on the municipality, but typically include traffic crimes, low level crimes and code infractions.
You will not find a standard for what makes a misdemeanor charge 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 is the procedure for cases in the municipal court in Paddock Lake?
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 individuals by police officers
- Distribute search warrants to law enforcement officers in order to seize evidence from crime scenes
- start preliminary examinations to determine if there is enough evidence to mount a charge
The usual process of a Municipal Court matter
First Step: An Issuance of Summons
Second Step: Appearance before Judge or Magistrate
Municipal Court Penalties in Paddock Lake, WI
Penalties change often, which is why it’s best to speak with licensed lawyer. The information below represents common penalties, but may not be accurate for the Village of Paddock Lake Municipal Court.
A violation is an offense that has a penalty of $500 or less, while a misdemeanor charge 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 could be fined up to $2k or spend up to six months in jail.
Village of Paddock Lake Municipal Court Records
Municipal Court records from a municipal court 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 in front of the court, what stage it is at in the process, and what type of information is needed by law to be present.
Questions ABOUT the Village of Paddock Lake Municipal Court
What is municipal court in Paddock Lake, Wisconsin?
In Wisconsin, the municipal court is a lower court with civil and criminal matters within a city or municipality. Municipal courts thus have a small area of influence and have limited authority as well, dealing only with petty crimes and misdemeanor crimes.
What does the municipal court handle in Paddock Lake, Wisconsin?
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 handled by higher authorities.
How many judges does the Village of Paddock Lake Municipal Court have?
The number 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 term of years or until retirement. Judges are sometimes elected by the people with each precinct’s results weighted according to population. Municipal magistrates are often not lawyers but have some legal education and must finish multiple hours of continuing material every year to maintain their credentials.
