A municipal court is a court with limited jurisdiction over criminal offenses and civil matters within its area. These courts can be found at the city or county level.
Wind Point – North Bay Joint Municipal Court INformation
Court: Wind Point – North Bay Joint Municipal Court
Address: “4725 Lighthouse Drive, Racine, WI 53402”
Phone: 262-898-7071
City: Racine
County: Racine
State: Wisconsin
What is the purpose of the Wind Point – North Bay Joint Municipal Court?
Municipal Courts are often called “courts of limited jurisdiction.” This means that they work with minor criminal charges, civil matters, and traffic tickets. Courthouses like Wind Point – North Bay Joint Municipal Court are the first level of court for this group of matters.
In other situations, the purpose 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 cases, 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, while the circuits courts handle felony matters and bigger civil cases.
TYPES OF Legal Matters adjudicated IN A MUNICIPAL COURT in Racine, Wisconsin
Municipal courts are the bottom rung of courthouses in the United States. 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 serve their citizens or to save money on expenditures. The matters that may be heard by a municipal court depend on the municipality, but typically include traffic tickets, low level criminal charges and code violations.
You will not find a standard for what establishes 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 Racine?
Magistrates 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 suspects by police officers
- Issue search warrants to police officers in order to secure evidence from crime scenes
- start preliminary inquiries to establish if there is enough evidence to charge
The common process of a Municipal Court Case
Step One: Issuance of Summons
Second Step: Appearance before Judge or Magistrate
Municipal Court Penalties in Racine, WI
Penalties change often, which is why it’s best to speak with licensed attorney near you. The material below represents common penalties, but may not be accurate for the Wind Point – North Bay Joint Municipal Court.
A violation is a crime that carries a penalty of $500 or below, while a misdemeanor can carry 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 charges 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.
Wind Point – North Bay Joint Municipal Court Records
Municipal Court records from a municipal government could 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 type of charge they have before the court, what stage it is at in the process, and what type of information is required by law to be present.
Common Questions ABOUT the Wind Point – North Bay Joint Municipal Court
What is municipal court in Racine, Wisconsin?
In Wisconsin, the municipal court is a lower court with civil and criminal matters within a town or municipality. Municipal courts thus have a small location and have limited authority as well, dealing only with petty charges and misdemeanor crimes.
What does the municipal court handle in Racine, Wisconsin?
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 Wind Point – North Bay Joint Municipal Court have?
The number of judges depends on the municipality’s size.
How are cases heard in municipal courts in Wisconsin?
A municipal court judge may be either elected or appointed to serve for a set term of years or until retirement. Judges are sometimes chosen by the people with each precinct’s results judged according to population. Municipal judges are generally not lawyers but have some legal training and must complete multiple hours of ongoing education every year to maintain their licenses.
