Municipal Court
Mission Statement
To ensure equal justice and due process under law, promote justice and nourish respect for the rule of law by all citizens.
Summary
The Lee's Summit Municipal Court maintains all files and papers necessary to schedule and conduct trials, pleas, pre-trial hearings, sentencing, probation revocation hearings, and pre- and post-trial motions related to violations of city ordinances. The administrative and clerical staff, bailiffs and judges administer the process of adjudicating matters under the Court's jurisdiction. The efforts of all are directed toward the goals of the fair and efficient administration of justice, to dispense equal justice to all, to provide courteous and respectful service to the public and to encourage respect for the rule of law.
The Lee's Summit Municipal Court consists of two elected Judges, two bailiffs, a Court Administrator, Assistant Court Administrator, Probation Officer, Court Services Officer, Accounting Technician, Warrant Clerk, Bond Clerk, two Deputy Court Clerks and a part-time intern.
Cases for Division 243 are scheduled for the first three Wednesday afternoons of the month beginning at 1:00 p.m. with a prisoner arraignment docket, followed by 2:00 p.m. attorney plea and 3:00 p.m. general dockets. Cases for Division 263 are scheduled for the first four Thursdays of each month beginning at 8:30 a.m. with a final docket held at 3:00 p.m. A Mental Health Court docket is held on the 4thThursday of each month at 9:30 a.m. On the fourth Friday of each month, with some exceptions due to holidays, dockets begin at 8:00 a.m. with prisoner arraignments followed by an 8:30 a.m. contempt/general docket and a 10:00 a.m. docket devoted to nuisance cases from the Neighborhood Services division as well as zoning matters. On Tuesday of weeks lacking a Wednesday Court docket, Judge James M. Tobin holds an 8:00 a.m. prisoner arraignment docket.
If the individual charged with the offense pleads guilty, a fine, imprisonment or probation may be assessed. If the defendant pleads not guilty, a bench trial is conducted. The defendant may appeal a finding of guilty to the Jackson County Associate Circuit Court. In addition, the City operates a Violations Bureau which permits individuals charged with certain traffic and other violations to pay a fine without appearing before the Judge.
Organizational Structure
The Lee’s Summit Municipal Court is a division of the Jackson County Circuit Court of Missouri.