Responsibilities
The Municipal Court is responsible for the judicial processing of Class C misdemeanors that originate from traffic citations, citizen complaints, code violations, and misdemeanor arrests, occurring within the jurisdiction of the City of Melissa.
The Municipal Court process is governed by the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and Code of Judicial Conduct. The court:
- Issues warrants for violation of Promise to Appear and Failure to Appear
- Prepares dockets
- Records and collects fine payments
- Schedules trials
Court Judge
The Municipal Court Judge is appointed by the City Council and is responsible for holding arraignments, juvenile, show cause and trial dockets.
Cases Handled
Municipal Court handles Class C misdemeanor criminal cases including traffic violations, for which the maximum fine, upon conviction, does not exceed $500 (not including state court costs), and no jail sentence is assessed.
The Court also handles cases involving violations of city ordinances, which may have fines up to $2,000 for certain offenses (not including state court costs).