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Legal

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1. How do I pay a municipal court fine and court costs?

If the back of your ticket contains the specific amount of the fines/costs, you can pay the full amount before arraignment in one of three ways:

1. At Municipal Court, 610 Colorado St.


2. Online (for tickets issued after Sept. 1, 2014, with a credit or debit card, or;


3. By mail to 610 Colorado St., Manhattan, KS 66502.

You must enter a plea on the back of the ticket, date it, sign it and mail the ticket with your check or money order to the Municipal Court. You must also pay the court costs for your case, even if you do not have to appear in Municipal Court. If the back of your ticket says “Must Appear” or “MA”, you cannot pay in advance. You must appear in Court on your arraignment date. If you have appeared in Court, and the Judge imposes a fine and court costs in your case, the Judge will set a payment deadline.

2. If I pay my fine, do I still have to come to Municipal Court?

If your ticket has a specified fine amount, you do not have to appear in Court if you pay the fine and court costs on or before the court date on the ticket. If your ticket says “Must Appear,” or “MA,” then you cannot pay your fine in advance, and you must appear in court on the date indicated on the ticket. Failure to comply with the citation and/or pay fines and costs may result in the issuance of an arrest warrant and/or the suspension of your driving privileges, in addition to your case being turned over to collections.

3. What is the function of Municipal Court?

Municipal Court enforces violations of City ordinances for traffic,misdemeanor, and other types of cases, such as fire, code, and parking violations.

4. How are municipal court fines and court costs set?

The fines are set by City ordinance or in the Municipal Court fine schedule. The court costs are set by charter ordinance and are assessed for the Municipal Court’s administrative costs, as well as costs required by the State of Kansas.

5. Can I do community service to pay off my fines?

Community service may be used to pay off your fines and a portion of your court costs. You will receive credit of $10 per hour worked, with the exception of DUI fines, which will be worked off at the rate of $5 per hour (State of Kansas statutes). You cannot work off any court ordered restitution. You must perform your community service at a Court approved agency in Manhattan. Credit will not be given for community service work performed at an agency that is not Court approved. To perform community service, contact one of the Court approved agencies and schedule your work with them. The supervisor must sign this Community Service Log Sheet for you to receive credit for your work.  Community service work cannot be preformed to pay off fines and costs owed through a diversion agreement without prior approval from the City Prosecutor. If your case gets turned over to our collection agency, you no longer have the option to work off fines through community service.

6. What happens at arraignment?

An arraignment is the first time you appear in Court to answer to the charge(s) against you. In most cases, the arraignment date and time is specified on the citation or Notice to Appear.  At arraignment, you will inform the Court if you plan to have an attorney, or request a court appointed attorney.  At your arraignment, the Court will handle a docket of many cases. You should plan to spend at least two hours at the Court. See more information regarding court procedures.

7. What is a “plea?"

A plea is an answer to the charges against you. You must enter a plea of guilty, no contest or not guilty.

• A “guilty” plea means that you admit that you committed the offense(s).
• A “no contest” plea means that you do not want to contest the charges. You are not admitting guilt, but you are allowing the judge to find you guilty.
• A “not guilty” plea means that you deny guilt. Your case will be set for trial, and the City will be required to prove that you committed the offense(s) beyond a reasonable doubt.

Your “plea” may follow a “plea negotiation” with the City Prosecutor, either on your own or through your attorney. The City Prosecutor is not required to conduct plea negotiations with you.

8. What happens at trial?

If you enter a plea of “not guilty,” your case will be scheduled for a trial. At trial, the city has the burden to prove that you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The City Prosecutor will call witnesses to testify against you, and you will have the right to cross-examine each witness. You are also allowed to call witnesses or testify on your own behalf. After all the evidence is presented, the Municipal Court Judge will enter a finding of guilty or not guilty. There are no jury trials in Municipal Court. You have the right to have an attorney represent you at trial, but you are not required to have an attorney. If you represent yourself, you are a “pro se” defendant.

9. What happens at sentencing?

In most cases, the judge will impose your sentence upon entering a plea of guilty or no contest at arraignment, or immediately following a conviction at trial. Depending on the offense(s), the judge may impose jail time, fines, fees, restitution, community service, etc.

10. Can I speak to a City Prosecutor about my case?

If you are not represented by an attorney, you may have an opportunity to speak with the City Prosecutor when you appear in court for your arraignment. You may also set an appointment with a City Prosecutor after your initial appearance by calling 785-587-2451. The prosecutor has no obligation to discuss your case with you, although the City Prosecutors will do so in most cases. If you are represented by an attorney, the prosecutor must discuss your case with your attorney.

11. Can I have an attorney represent me in court?

You have the right to representation by an attorney in all Municipal Court cases. If you are charged with an offense that carries the possibility of jail time, you must decide whether to proceed with or without an attorney. You must hire your own attorney, unless the Municipal Court Judge appoints one for you. To ask the Judge to appoint an attorney for you, you must complete the financial affidavit and an application for appointed defense services.

12. Can I appeal the judge’s decision?

You have the right to appeal the conviction to the District Court. You must file a written Notice of Appeal with the Municipal Court within 14 days of your conviction. When you file your written Notice of Appeal, you must post an appeal bond of $94.50.

13. Can I change my arraignment date?

If you call before your scheduled arraignment date, a Court Clerk may grant a one-time continuance of your arraignment date.  The continuance will be for an arraignment docket within one week of your current arraignment date.

14. What happens if I missed my court date?

The judge may have issued a warrant for your arrest due to your failure to appear in court. The state that issued your driver’s license may have also suspended your driving privileges. You should immediately call the court at 785-587-2450 to ask about the status of your case.

15. Can I change the date and time of my meeting with my court services officer?

You can only change the date and time of your meeting if you call your court services officer before your scheduled meeting. The court services officer is not required to reschedule your meeting. He or she has the discretion to decide whether to change your date/time.

16. What happens if I miss a meeting with my court services officer?

Your probation officer may file a motion to revoke your probation or parole. You should immediately call the court at 785-587-2450 to ask about the status of your case.

17. I received a ticket for no proof of liability insurance for the vehicle I was driving. What are my options?

If you had insurance coverage on the vehicle at the time the ticket was issued, you may bring proof of such coverage to the Court Clerk on or before your arraignment date. If you did not have insurance on the vehicle at the time the ticket was issued, you must appear in court on your arraignment date.  If there was not an accident involved, and this is your first offense for no proof of liability insurance, you may apply for a diversion.

18. Can I get a diversion of any charge(s) against me?

A diversion is an agreement between you and the City Prosecutor related to the disposition of the charge(s). A diversion agreement allows you to avoid a conviction on your criminal history, if successfully completed. You must submit an application, and the City Prosecutors have discretion to determine the qualifications and requirements of any diversion program. You may be required to pay fines, fees or restitution; attend classes or counseling; perform community service; write essays; refrain from certain conduct; or meet with a court services officer. If you comply with the terms of the diversion agreement, the charges against you will be dismissed. If you do not comply, the City may revoke your diversion and proceed with prosecution.

19. Can I have my Municipal Court arrest and/or conviction expunged?

An “expungement” removes an arrest or conviction from your criminal record. Whether you can have your conviction expunged depends upon state law. You may have the right to have your arrest and/or conviction expunged after the passage of three or five years, depending on the offense.
NOTE: A DUI conviction is subject to different rules. Complete the Petition for Expungement.

20. What is the ordinance for cell phone violations?

Article 14, Sec. 126.3.

21. What if court is canceled due to inclement weather?

If the Municipal Court is on a delayed schedule or closed for inclement weather, Court staff will reschedule any impacted appearances and/or docket for the next available time and notify each individual.

22. What if I need to reschedule my court appearance due to inclement weather?

If an individual who is scheduled to appear in Court cannot appear due to inclement weather, the individual shall contact the Court prior to the scheduled appearance.  Inclement weather or school closings do not automatically “excuse” an individual’s failure to appear.