A municipal court is a US court whose jurisdiction is limited to a specific municipality, county, community, or city. These courts can preside over only those cases and offenses that have taken place within their sphere of influence. They cannot consider cases and offenses that have occurred outside their territory.
Like other courts, municipal courts are committed to administering justice in a fair, efficient, and timely manner. They are also committed to safeguarding the legal rights and liberties of citizens and ensuring the protection of public interest. Usually, they are in session on weekdays, but some court-related matters may be conducted on weekends.
Most courts at this level have two main departments: the judicial department and the administration department. The chief judicial officer in each judicial district is usually responsible for the administration of the county municipal court. The presiding judges are selected from the sitting judges, and they work in cooperation with the court administrative staff. They oversee matters of court management and day-to-day court issues and assist in the training of judges, clerks, and other court staff.
The jurisdiction of a municipal judge is usually limited to state law violations, city ordinance violations, and misdemeanors. These include offenses involving driving under the influence (DUI), parking tickets, public intoxication, disorderly conduct, vandalism, trespass, petty theft, simple assault, and other such crimes. Matters such as fish and game violations, building code violations, and so on are within the jurisdiction of this type of court.
In some cases, a municipal judge may also be authorized to take on cases involving family violence, child abuse, contract disputes, and probate. Complaints for more major crimes, like robbery or murder, can be filed in the municipal court, but they are then transferred to a superior court.
Cases brought before the municipal courts can only impose monetary fines by way of punishments. The court determines the fines that are to be paid, if these are not already prescribed by the state law or the city ordinance. The fines are collected by the court clerk, recorded and turned over to the city treasury.
The court clerk is responsible for issuing court processes, sending notifications of court dates, and sending out court orders. The clerk swears in the defendants, plaintiffs, and witnesses in the courtroom; maintains court proceeding minutes; and forwards records to the appellate court in case of an appeal. The clerk also compiles monthly court statistics for the state court administration office.
