MUNICIPAL COURTS AND MINOR TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS (SECTIONS 479.020, 479.190, 479.275, 479.353, AND 479.354)

Currently, a judge cannot serve as a municipal judge in more than five municipalities at one time. This act provides that a court serving more than one municipality shall be treated as a single municipality for purposes of this requirement.

Municipal judges, court personnel, and prosecutors are prohibited from supervising, hiring, firing, or otherwise disciplining any probation officer or personnel assigned by the municipality. This restriction does not apply to the cities of Lee's Summit and Kansas City.

In any county with over 250,000 inhabitants, no individual shall serve concurrently as the prosecuting attorney and the city attorney. This provision does not apply for an individual serving as a county officer or employee of a county with a charter form of government.

When an individual has been held in custody on a notice to show cause or an arrest warrant for a minor traffic violation, this act allows the court to waive or reduce the original fine or sentence when reasonable.

A defendant must be given the date and time to appear in court at the same time he or she is given a notice to appear in court, citation, or summons for a minor traffic violation, and failure to provide such information shall render the notice to appear void. If the notice is not properly given, the court shall reissue the notice, citation, or summons with a date and time specifically set forth for the defendant to appear.

These provisions are identical to provisions in SS/SCS/HCS/HB 192 (2019) and similar to HB 1249 (2018).

CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (SECTIONS 479.157 AND 488.012)

This act allows municipal courts to select and operate a case management system. The Supreme Court of Missouri shall allow a two-way interface that supports integrated functions between the municipal court case management system and the Missouri state courts case management system. The Supreme Court shall develop rules regarding the interface. The costs of any interface shall be covered by a non-state entity.

Additionally, this act increases the court fee amount for the Statewide Court Automation Fund from $7 to $23. This fee is effective August 28, 2019 to August 28, 2024, unless it is reauthorized by the General Assembly. In the event that no reauthorization occurs, the fee shall be $11 dollars, with an annual increase based on inflation.

These provisions are identical to SCS/SB 270 (2019).

KATIE O'BRIEN