The Municipal Court is the judiciary branch of the St. Francis City Government, and as such is the place where traffic tickets and violation of City ordinances are judged and fines levied. The Court's goal is to make sure that every person leaves feeling that he or she has been treated fairly.

Below are some frequently asked questions about Municipal Court procedures. If you cannot easily locate the information that you are seeking, or are still having difficulties, please contact the Court Clerk, Sarah Smith, at 785-332-3330, with your questions.

Question: I will not be able to be in court on my scheduled date. Can I get a continuance?
Answer: You must contact the Municipal Court at 785-332-3330, not later than Monday at 5:00 p.m., prior to your scheduled court date. The court clerk is authorized to grant one continuance over the telephone. In the case of a trial the court does not issue continuances as witnesses have been called.

Question: I've received a traffic ticket. Must I appear in court as my ticket states, or can I just come to the Court Clerk's Office and pay the fine?
Answer: If there is a fine written in the upper left-hand corner of the citation, that amount can be mailed to the court. The Municipal Court encourages any mail-in fines to be accompanied by the signed defendant's copy of the ticket with a guilty plea checked. Additionally, if the ticket is signed by the defendant and a guilty plea checked, anyone may bring the payment to the court clerk's office.

Question: I missed my court date. Will you issue a warrant for my arrest?
Answer: When you miss a court date you are notified via mail of your new court date which is in about 30 days. If you are able to pay a fine, that fine amount is noted in the letter. The letter informs you that if you miss the new court date there will be a warrant issued for your arrest and your privilege to drive may be suspended.

Question: Will I need an attorney to represent me?
Answer: You do not need an attorney to enter a plea or go to trial in the Municipal Court. Under certain circumstances you will need to obtain an attorney to plea your ticket. Please call the Municipal Court at 785-332-3330 to determine those circumstances.

Question: May I request a jury trial?
Answer: All trials in the Municipal Court are held only before the judge, but all defendants have the right to request a trial in the court.

Question: What form of payment is accepted?
Answer: If you are paying your fines, the Municipal Court accepts cash, money orders, cashier's checks, personal checks, and/or MasterCard or Visa credit cards.

If you have an outstanding warrant and wish to enter a guilty plea and pay the fines, the payment must be in cash or certified funds - we do not accept personal checks under these circumstances.

Question: What is an arraignment?
Answer: An arraignment is an appearance before the judge where the defendant enters a plea of guilty, not guilty or no contest. The judge will assess a fine in response to a guilty plea, the judge will assign a new court date in response to a not guilty plea, and the judge will accept a no contest plea (a fine is assessed and paid but no guilt is admitted) in a case where civil liability may arise, such as in a traffic accident.