A municipal court is a court with small area of authority over criminal offenses and civil disputes inside its geographic area. These courts can be located at the county or city tier.
Waynesboro Municipal Court INformation
Court: Waynesboro Municipal Court
Address: “714 Wayne St, Waynesboro, MS 39367”
Phone: 601-735-3192
City: Waynesboro
County: Wayne
State: Mississippi
What is the purpose of the Waynesboro Municipal Court?
Municipal Courts are often called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” Which means that they work with minor crimes, civil cases, and traffic matters. Courthouses like Waynesboro 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 family law matters, accident cases, more serious criminal charges, or contract disputes.
County courts 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 felonies and bigger civil matters.
TYPES OF Matters HEARD IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Waynesboro, Mississippi
Municipal courts are the lowest level of courthouses 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 assist their people or to save money on expenditures. The matters that will be heard by a municipal court can change based on on the municipality, but typically include traffic violations, criminal misdemeanors and code violations.
You will not find a standard for what constitutes a misdemeanor versus a felony case, 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 Waynesboro?
Magistrates administer hearings to determine:
- Probable cause for an arrest
- Set bail amounts and conditions of release
- Conduct arraignment hearings when charges are filed against individuals by police officers
- Issue search warrants to police officers in order to seize evidence from crime scenes
- start preliminary inquiries to establish if there is enough evidence to charge
The usual process of a Municipal Court matter
Step One: Issuance of Summons
Step Two: Show Up before Judge or Magistrate
Municipal Court Penalties in Waynesboro, MS
Penalties change often, which is why it’s good to speak with licensed attorney. The material below represents common penalties, but may not be 100% accurate for the Waynesboro Municipal Court.
A violation is a crime that carries a penalty of $500 or below, while a misdemeanor crime can have penalties up to $1k 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 courthouses vary depending on the severity of an offenses. For example, if you are caught with marijuana without having a prescription for it then you will be fined up to $2k or spend up to six months in jail.
Waynesboro Municipal Court Records
Municipal Court records from a municipal court may be difficult to find because they are not always stored in one location or system. The records that a person might need to depend on the matter they have before the court, where it’s at in the process, and what type of information is required by law to be available.
Questions ABOUT the Waynesboro Municipal Court
What is municipal court in Waynesboro, Mississippi?
In Mississippi, the municipal court is a lower level with civil and criminal matters within a town or municipality. Municipal courts have a small area of influence and have limited authority as well, dealing only with petty charges and misdemeanor charges.
What does the municipal court handle in Waynesboro, Mississippi?
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. Serious cases/crimes are handled by higher authorities.
How many judges does the Waynesboro Municipal Court have?
The count of judges depends on the municipality’s population.
How are cases heard in municipal courts in Mississippi?
A municipal court judge may be either elected or appointed to serve for a set term of years or until retirement. Judges are commonly chosen by the people with each precinct’s results judged according to population. Municipal judges are generally not lawyers but have some legal education and must finish many hours of ongoing material every year to maintain their licenses.