Title XXXII — COURTS

479.010. Violation of municipal ordinances, jurisdiction. — Violations of municipal ordinances shall be heard and determined only before divisions of the circuit court as hereinafter provided in this chapter. "Heard and determined", for purposes of this chapter, shall mean any pr…

479.011. Administrative adjudication of certain code violations, certain cities — authorization, rules requirements — tribunal designated by ordinance, procedures — evidence reviewed — imprisonment and fines limited — judicial review, lien imposed, when. — 1. (1) The following ci…

479.020. Municipal judges, selection, tenure, jurisdiction, qualifications, course of instruction. — 1. Any city, town or village, including those operating under a constitutional or special charter, may, and cities with a population of four hundred thousand or more shall, provid…

479.030. Municipalities, notification of circuit clerk — judges in office, terms. — 1. Every municipality with a population of less than four hundred thousand which makes provision for a municipal judge or judges shall notify in writing the circuit clerk of the county in which th…

479.040. Cities may elect where violations of municipal ordinances may be heard. — 1. (1) Any city, town or village with a population of less than four hundred thousand may elect to have the violations of its municipal ordinances heard and determined by an associate circuit judge…

479.050. Municipalities may establish traffic violation bureau, procedure, costs. — The municipal judge or judges, or, in those municipalities where the violations of municipal ordinances are heard and determined by an associate circuit judge, or judges, the associate circuit jud…

479.060. Clerks, courtroom, other employees — municipalities to provide for, when. — 1. Where municipal violations are to be tried before a municipal judge or judges, the governing body of the municipality shall provide by ordinance for a clerk or clerks and such other nonjudicia…

479.070. Duties and powers of municipal judge. — The municipal judge shall be a conservator of the peace. He shall keep a docket in which he shall enter every case commenced before him and the proceeding therein and he shall keep such other records as required. Such docket and re…

479.080. Fines and costs, where paid, deposited — supreme court may provide for uniform procedure. — 1. In the prosecution of violations of municipal ordinances before a municipal judge, all fines and costs shall be paid to and deposited not less frequently than monthly into the …

479.090. Prosecutions based on information only, proceedings. — All prosecutions for the violation of municipal ordinances shall be instituted by information and may be based upon a complaint. Proceedings shall be in accordance with the supreme court rules governing practice and …

479.100. Warrants, how issued and executed. — All warrants issued by a municipal judge, or an associate circuit judge hearing violations of municipal ordinances, shall be directed to the city marshal, chief of police, or any other police officer of the municipality, or to the she…

479.110. Arrest without warrants, procedure. — The city marshal, chief of police or other police officer of any municipality shall, without a warrant, make arrests of any person who commits an offense in his presence, but such officer shall, before the trial, file a written compl…

479.120. Municipality to designate attorney to prosecute violations — duties. — It shall be the duty of an attorney designated by the municipality to prosecute the violations of the municipality's ordinances before the municipal judges or before the associate circuit judges heari…

479.130. Trial by jury, when. — Any person charged with the violation of a municipal ordinance of a city of the third or fourth class shall be entitled to a trial by jury, as in prosecutions for misdemeanors before an associate circuit judge. ­­-------- (L. 1978 H.B. 1634) Effect…

479.140. Judge to be trier of fact, when. — In any trial for the violation of a municipal ordinance, all issues of fact shall be tried by the judge except where trial by jury is authorized by law and the defendant or his attorney requests a trial by jury. ­­-------- (L. 1978 H.B.…

479.150. Trial by jury, certification for assignment — exception, Springfield municipal court, when, procedure, costs. — 1. In any municipality, whenever a defendant accused of a violation of a municipal ordinance has a right to a trial by jury and demands such trial by jury, exc…

479.155. Municipal division, reporting requirements to Missouri Supreme Court. — 1. By September 1, 2015, the presiding judge of the circuit court in which the municipal division is located shall report to the clerk of the supreme court the name and address of the municipal divis…

479.160. Witnesses, how summoned, fees. — 1. It shall be the duty of the municipal judge to summon all persons whose testimony may be deemed essential as witnesses at the trial, and to enforce their attendance by attachment, if necessary. The fees of witnesses shall be the same a…

479.162. Municipal ordinance violations, no charge or fee for police reports or other documents or videos, when. — Notwithstanding any provision of law, supreme court rule, or court operating rule, in a proceeding for a municipal ordinance violation or any other proceeding before…

479.170. Municipal judge without jurisdiction, when, procedure. — 1. If, in the progress of any trial before a municipal judge, it shall appear to the judge that the accused ought to be put upon trial for an offense against the criminal laws of the state and not cognizable before…

479.172. Intoxication-related traffic offenses, municipal judges to receive adequate instruction — written policy on timely disposition of cases — report required. — 1. Each municipal judge shall receive adequate instruction on the laws related to intoxication-related traffic off…

479.180. Commitment in county jail, when — duty of sheriff. — If a municipality has no suitable and safe place of confinement, the defendant may be committed to the county jail by the judge, and it shall be the duty of the sheriff, if space for the prisoner is available in the co…

479.190. Parole or probation, when granted — certificate — conditions of probation — modification of conditions. — 1. Any judge hearing violations of municipal ordinances may, when in his judgment it may seem advisable, grant a parole or probation to any person who shall plead gu…

479.200. Appeals, trial de novo. — 1. In any case tried before a municipal judge who is not licensed to practice law in this state, the defendant shall have a right to trial de novo, even from a plea of guilty, before a circuit judge or an associate circuit judge. 2. In any case …

479.210. Recognizances and forfeitures. — In case of a breach of any recognizance entered into before a municipal judge or an associate circuit judge hearing a municipal ordinance violation case, the same shall be deemed forfeited and the judge shall cause the same to be prosecut…

479.220. Disqualification of judge, when, procedure. — A municipal judge shall be disqualified to hear any case in which he is in any wise interested, or, if before the trial is commenced, the defendant or the prosecutor files an affidavit that the defendant or the municipality, …

479.230. Absence of judge, procedure. — 1. If a municipal judge be absent, sick or disqualified from acting pursuant to the general administrative authority of the presiding judge of the circuit court over the municipal divisions within the circuit contained in section 478.240: (…

479.240. Fines, installments allowed. — When a fine is assessed for violation of an ordinance, it shall be within the discretion of the judge assessing the fine to provide for the payment of the fine on an installment basis under such terms and conditions as he may deem appropria…

479.250. Municipal ordinances, evidence of, judicial notice of. — In the trial of municipal ordinance violation cases, a copy of a municipal ordinance which is certified by the clerk of the municipality shall constitute prima facie evidence of such ordinance. If such certified co…

479.260. Court costs and fees, judicial education fund, purpose, administration. — 1. Municipalities by ordinance may provide for fees in an amount per case to be set pursuant to sections 488.010 to 488.020 for each municipal ordinance violation case filed before a municipal judg…

479.270. Transfer or assignment of cases, procedure. — If transferred by the supreme court or if assigned by the presiding judge of the circuit or pursuant to court rule, a circuit judge may hear municipal ordinance violation cases in those instances where provision is made in th…

479.350. Definitions. — For purposes of sections 479.350 to 479.372, the following terms mean: (1) "Annual general operating revenue", revenue that can be used to pay any bill or obligation of a county, city, town, or village, including general sales tax; general use tax; general…

479.353. Conditions — review of original fine and sentence, when. — 1. Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary, the following conditions shall apply to minor traffic violations and municipal ordinance violations: (1) The court shall not assess a fine, if combined with the …

479.354. Notice to appear in court, date and time to be given when first provided. — For any notice to appear, citation, or summons on a minor traffic violation, the date and time the defendant is to appear in court shall be given when such notice to appear, citation, or summons …

479.356. Failure to pay court costs, fines, or fees, setoff of income tax refund, when. — If a person fails to pay court costs, fines, fees, or other sums ordered by a municipal court, to be paid to the state or political subdivision, a municipal court may report any such delinqu…

479.359. Political subdivisions to annually calculate percentage of revenue from municipal ordinance violations and minor traffic violations — limitation on percentage — addendum to report, contents. — 1. Every county, city, town, and village shall annually calculate the percenta…

479.360. Certification of substantial compliance, filed with state auditor — procedures adopted and certified. — 1. Every county, city, town, and village shall file with the state auditor, together with its report due under section 105.145, its certification of its substantial co…

479.362. Filing of addendum, notice to revenue — failure to file, procedure. — 1. The auditor shall notify to the director of the department of revenue whether or not county, city, town, or village has timely filed the addendums required by sections 479.359 and 479.360 and transm…

479.368. Failure to timely file, loss of local sales tax revenue and certain county sales tax revenue — election required, when. — 1. (1) Except for county sales taxes deposited in the county sales tax trust fund as defined in section 66.620, any county, city, town, or village fa…

479.372. Rulemaking authority. — Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is created under the authority delegated in sections 479.350 to 479.372 shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the provisions of chap…

479.375. Severability clause. — If any provision of this act* or their application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of this act* which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, a…

479.500. Traffic court may be established in twenty-first judicial circuit — appointment of judges — procedure and operation — jurisdiction — qualification of traffic judges, compensation — pleas without personal appearance — recording of proceedings — costs of establishment and …