The City of Gallatin hereby elects
to have all violations of its municipal ordinances heard and determined
by an Associate Circuit Judge of the Circuit Court of Daviess County,
Missouri, the County in which the City of Gallatin is located.
The Division of the Circuit Court
of Daviess County, Missouri, which hears and determines violations
of the ordinances of the City of Gallatin shall be known as the "Municipal
Division of the Circuit Court of Daviess County, Missouri."
The rules governing the procedure
and practice in the Municipal Court shall be those established and
promulgated by the Supreme Court of Missouri on July 1, 1959, and
such subsequent rules as the Supreme Court shall from time to time
establish and promulgate; and any provision in these ordinances which
shall be in conflict with such rules is hereby repealed.
The Associate Circuit Judge may establish
a Violations Bureau in the City of Gallatin, and shall establish such
a Bureau when a request therefor is made by the Board of Aldermen
of the City of Gallatin. The Violations Bureau shall operate under
the supervision of the Circuit Court, and the Associate Circuit Judge
hearing and determining violations of the ordinances of the City of
Gallatin, and shall be operated in accordance with the rules of the
Supreme Court and the rules of the Circuit Court. All expenses incident
to the operation of the Violations Bureau, including salaries of clerical
personnel, shall be paid by the City of Gallatin. The City shall provide
suitable quarters for the Violations Bureau. The Violations Bureau
shall accept pleas of guilty to certain violations of traffic ordinances
designated by the Associate Circuit Judge and shall accept payments
of fines established by the Associate Circuit Judge and Court costs
assessed on said pleas of guilty.
All prosecutions for the violation
of City ordinances shall be instituted by information and may be based
upon a complaint. Proceedings shall be in accordance with the Supreme
Court Rule governing practices and procedures in proceedings before
Municipal Judges.
In the trial of violations of the
ordinances of the City, a copy of a City ordinance which is certified
by the Clerk of the City shall constitute prima facie evidence of
such ordinance. If such certified copy is on file with the Clerk of
the Municipal Division and readily available for inspection by the
parties, the Judge may take judicial notice of such ordinance without
further proof.
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/she may deem appropriate.
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 a Municipal Court if the charge carries
the possibility of fifteen (15) days or more in jail or confinement,
a defendant shall not be charged any fee for obtaining a police report,
probable cause statement, or any video relevant to the traffic stop
or arrest. Such police report, probable cause statement, or video
shall be provided by the prosecutor upon written request by the defendant
for discovery.