Owensville municipal ordinance violation cases shall be heard
and determined by Associate Circuit Judges as provided by Chapter
479, RSMo.
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.
[R.O. 2011 § 135.110; R.O. 2010 § 370.010]
A. There
is hereby established a Violations Bureau. The City shall provide
all expenses incident to the operation of the same.
1. When Person Charged May Elect To Appear At Bureau.
a. Any person charged with an offense for which payment of a fine may
be made to the Violations Bureau shall have the option of paying such
fine within the time specified in the notice of arrest at the Violations
Bureau upon entering a plea of guilty and upon waiving appearance
in court; or may have the option of depositing required lawful bail,
and upon a plea of not guilty shall be entitled to a trial as authorized
by law.
b. The payment of a fine to the Bureau shall be deemed an acknowledgement
of conviction of the alleged offense, and the Bureau, upon accepting
the prescribed fine, shall issue a receipt to the violator acknowledging
payment thereof.
2. The Violations Bureau Clerk shall be the Court Clerk of the Associate
Court of the 20th Judicial Circuit.
3. It shall be the function of said Violations Clerk to accept appearances,
waivers of trial, pleas of guilty, and payment of fines and costs
in traffic offenses subject to the limitation hereinafter prescribed.
4. The said Violations Clerk shall serve under the direction and control
of the Associate Circuit Judge of the 20th Judicial Circuit Court,
and the said Associate Court shall operate in accordance with the
rules of the State of Missouri governing practice and procedure in
Associate Courts.
5. Offenses within the authority of the Violations Clerk and the schedules
of the amount of fines and costs to be paid for first and second offenses
shall be as set out by the Associate Circuit Judge.
6. Said designated offenses shall in no event include the following
traffic cases:
a. Involving property damage or personal injury.
b. Operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating
liquor or drugs or permitting another person under such influence
to operate a motor vehicle owned by the defendant or in his/her custody
or control.
c. Any second speeding offense in a two-year period.
d. Leaving the scene of an accident.
e. Where the defendant has been arrested and accused of creating a hazardous,
aggravated or dangerous situation.
f. Operating a motor vehicle with a suspended or revoked license.
g. Any offense not contained in the schedule of fines as provided for in Subsection
(A)(12) hereof.
7. In all the offenses in Subsection
(A)(6)(a) through
(e), the defendant, in person or by his/her attorney, shall be required to appear before the said Associate Circuit Judge of the 20th Judicial Circuit Court.
8. All matters for which a plea of not guilty is entered, whether before
the Violations Bureau Clerk or the Associate Circuit Judge, shall
be set for trial at the time and date as determined by the Associate
Circuit Judge. All trials shall be held at the Owensville Municipal
Division of the 20th Judicial Circuit Court.
9. All fines and costs from the Violations Bureau shall be paid to the
Violations Bureau Clerk and deposited by the said Violations Bureau
Clerk not less frequently than monthly into the Municipal Treasury.
10. The said Violations Bureau Clerk, within the first ten (10) days
of every month, shall make out a list of all cases handled in said
Violations Bureau giving in each case the name of the defendant, the
fine imposed and the amount of costs. Said list shall be furnished
to the Board of Aldermen of the City of Owensville, Missouri, and
a copy thereof forwarded to the Associate Circuit Judge.
11. All expenses incident to the operations of the Violations Bureau,
including salaries of clerical personnel, shall be paid by the municipality.
12. Designated offenses and schedule of fines and costs provided for
in this Traffic Violations Bureau order shall be as reflected on the
schedule on file in the Associate Court and shall be prominently posted
at the Associate Court of the 20th Judicial Circuit.
13. Plea — Payment Of Fine And Costs.
a. Non-Moving Offenses. Within the time stated on the summons, any person
charged with a non-moving offense may mail the amount of the fine
and costs, if any, indicated on the ticket for such violation, together
with a signed plea of guilty and waiver of trial, to the Violations
Clerk or may pay the fine and costs in person or by attorney without
a signed plea of guilty or by any member of his/her immediate family
with defendant's signed plea of guilty at such Violations Bureau.
b. Other Offenses. Within the time stated on the summons, any person
charged with any traffic offense, other than a non-moving offense,
within the authority of the Violations Clerk may appear by attorney
with a signed plea of guilty or in person or by any member of his/her
immediate family before the Violations Clerk with defendant's signed
plea of guilty and waiver of trial, pay the fine established for the
offense charged and costs. Defendant, if present, prior to such plea,
waiver and payment, shall be informed of his/her right to stand trial,
that his/her signature to plea of guilty will have the same force
and effect as a judgment of the Court, and that the record of conviction
will be sent to the Director of Revenue of the State or the appropriate
office of the State from which he/she received his/her driver's license.
c. Procedure After Two (2) Convictions. Any person who has twice been
found guilty in any Court having jurisdiction of traffic cases or
who has signed a plea of guilty to two (2) previous moving traffic
offenses in the preceding two-year period or shall have been charged
with such offenses without either paying a satisfaction fine or posting
an appearance bond within the time required by law or has forfeited
bonds for such offenses shall not be permitted to appear before the
Violations Clerk but shall be required to appear before the Associate
Circuit Judge on the third and subsequent offenses within said preceding
two-year period.