Municipal Court Law and Legal Definition
Municipal court is a lower level local court which may handle matters such as:
criminal and traffic misdemeanor offenses such as:
domestic violence,
passing bad checks,
trespassing,
driving under the influence, and
speeding tickets.
The Court also has civil jurisdiction that includes landlord tenant cases and claims where the amount does not exceed a certain dollar limit.
Typical cases heard include:
evictions,
damages on default judgments,
pre-judgment and post-judgment attachment proceedings,
trusteeships,
judgment debtor examinations,
small claims cases,
certain appeals from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles,
the enforcement of sentences,
traffic arraignments,
parking violation appeals, and
applications for release of rent.
Local court rules may apply to a municipal court, depending on the jurisdiction.
