Municipal Court is the judicial arm of the City of Atchison. Municipal Court is different than District Court, which is the judicial arm of the State of Kansas and covers violations of State statutes and County ordinances as well as more grave violations of the law, including felonies.
Our goal in Municipal Court is to provide you with an efficient and professional court experience. This is a professional business setting dealing with serious legal matters. Show respect for yourself, the court, and others.
The Municipal judge will start court at 7:30 a.m. with the Payment Review docket. After this docket, the judge will work through the other cases. You have the right to be represented by an attorney. If you choose not to be represented by and an attorney, you may act as your own. If the City is requesting jail time, you should be prepared to decide whether or not you wish to proceed with or without an attorney.
- For those who wish to proceed with an attorney but cannot afford one, the Judge will appoint one to represent you. Income guidelines apply. If found guilty, you will be required to repay the cost of the attorney fees.
At arraignment, you will be given the opportunity to enter a plea. You may enter a plea of guilty, not guilty or no contest. Everyone is presumed innocent until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In a trial, the burden of proof is on the city to prove the defendant is guilty of the charges.
- There are no jury trials in the Municipal Court, a judge hears all testimony, reaches a verdict and imposes the sentence.
A case may be disposed of without a trial through entering a plea or a diversion agreement. The judge cannot initiate plea negotiations, and in fact, has no obligation to discuss your case conditions.