Your Rights in Court

1. You have the right to be advised of the charges against you.
2. You have the right to be informed of the maximum penalties which are a fine of between $5.00 and $1,000 and in some cases, one day to 90 days in jail
3. You have the right to a trial, with or without a jury
4. You have the right to confront your accuser
5. You have the right to cross-examine witnesses and to call witnesses on your behalf
6. You have the right to testify – or not testify – as you choose
7. You have the right to be represented by an attorney but you have no right to have an attorney appointed.
8. You have the right to appeal after trial if you are found guilty

If you are not a full citizen of the United States, a plea of guilty or a finding of guilty can affect your immigration status. The court will grant you a continuance to talk to an immigration attorney.

Many of the charges in this court have been assigned points by the Missouri Department of Revenue. These points may affect your driver’s license status and/or your insurance. The judge cannot advise you as to points, nor can the court clerks nor can the police officers.
You may ask for a continuance in order to consult with a private attorney.

Docket

The court docket is set up in the following order:

1. Individuals with attorneys
2. Regular docket
3. Payment docket
4. Trial docket
5. Probation revocations
6. Confined docket

When your name is called, come up to the bench – your charges will be read to you.

You will have three options:

1. You can plead guilty at which time a fine and court costs will be assessed.
2. You can ask for a continuance to contact an attorney. Again, if this is your first court date, you can see the court clerk in the lobby for a continuance.
3. You can plead not guilty at which time your case will be set for a pre-trial conference on a later date.

Payment in full is expected the night of court. We accept cash and/or checks (no out of state checks please)
Court costs are $24.50. If you use a credit or debit card a $4.00 convenience fee is added. If you are unable to pay the night of court, you can ask the judge to grant you a continuance for payment in full or to set up a payment plan.

Still have questions? Give us a call at (636) 227-9468.