Municipal Court

Anyone found guilty in Lawrence Municipal Court may appeal the conviction to the Douglas County District Court by filing a notice of appeal within 14 days of sentencing.

The notice of appeal may be filed at the Douglas County District Court or the Lawrence Municipal Court.

An appearance bond of $94.50 is required at the time the notice of appeal is filed.

The Municipal Court Judge may also set an appeal bond.

• Printable version of the Notice of Appeal Form(PDF, 6KB)

Docket Types and Times

Find a court appearance time online – check the listing of the Municipal Court docket types and times.

Text Notifications

If you would like to receive text notifications from the Municipal Court reminding you of your upcoming court hearing, please contact us at 785-832-6190 to find out more! See FCE Texting Terms and Conditions(PDF, 951KB).

Appearances

An arraignment is the first court appearance and is the scheduled time for a defendant to enter a plea. At the arraignment you will be given the opportunity to enter a plea. You may enter a plea of guilty, not guilty or no contest.

• Pleading guilty means that you admit to committing the charged offense.
• Pleading not guilty means you deny guilt and that the city must prove in trial that the charges are true beyond a reasonable doubt.
• Pleading no contest means you do not wish to contest the city's charge. Once you plea no contest, the judge will find you guilty and impose a sentence. A plea of no contest is not an admission of fault and cannot be used against you in a civil suit.
• A Municipal Court Clerk may grant a one-time 2 week continuance, on a first appearance, prior to the scheduled court date.
• All other continuances are at the sole discretion of the presiding Municipal Court Judge. A Pro Se defendant may attempt to obtain a continuance, without appearing in court on their case(s), by filing Pro Se Motion for Continuance(PDF, 74KB). It is important to note that a defendant is not excused from an appearance until he or she has received an order of continuance signed by the presiding

If you have missed your scheduled court appearance you may appear in person to add your name to the court docket every Friday, from 8:00am – 8:30am. If you arrive later than 8:30am, you will not be added on.

Video Conference Hearings

Some Court hearings may be available via Microsoft Teams (administrative order(PDF, 749KB)). Defendants or attorneys who wish to participate by video conference must file a  Consent to Appear by Video Conference form(PDF, 86KB) with the court at least one week prior to the scheduled hearing. Forms may be submitted to  videocourt@lawrenceks.gov. You may also submit the form in person or by mail to PO Box 1695, Lawrence KS, 66044.

You have the right to have an attorney represent you in your case. If you are charged with a jailable offense, and you are unable to afford to hire an attorney, you may apply for a court appointed attorney.

If you would like to apply for a court appointed attorney, you may submit a completed Financial Affidavit for consideration.

• Printable version of the Financial Affidavit(PDF, 92KB)

Financial Affidavit Online Form

QR Code for Financial Affidavit Online Form

The Lawrence Municipal Court manages individuals with post-sentencing obligations. The probation clerk meets regularly with defendants who have been placed on supervised probation to evaluate progress towards completion of court ordered sentencing obligations and assess the need for revised recommendations.

If you are convicted in Municipal Court you may petition for expungement. 

• Printable version of the Petition for Expungement(PDF, 66KB)

Expungement means that the public will not have access to the case information, except in certain situations.

You may petition for expungement after three years of the date the sentence was satisfied. However, some cases require five years or longer from the date the sentence was satisfied - these include Operating Under the Influence, Driving While Suspended, Leaving the Scene, Failure to Report an Accident, Duty Upon Striking, and No Insurance.

There is a $100 non-refundable fee per case due at the time the petition is filed. Refer to KSA 12-4516.

Until further notice, the Municipal Court has suspended fingerprinting services.

• Fines for traffic infractions and parking violations must be paid on or before the appearance date indicated on your citation or you must appear in court to contest your citation or request additional time to pay the fine. Failure to appear in court may result in the suspension of your driving privileges or a warrant for your arrest, depending on the charge(s).
• If you have been charged with any offense that carries the possibility of a jail sentence upon conviction, a fine amount will not be listed on your citation. You must appear in court to resolve the charge(s).
• Fines may be paid with cash, check, money order, or card at the Municipal Court. The hours are 8a.m. to 5p.m., Monday - Friday, except City holidays, or other times City Offices are closed, or when the Municipal Court is closed by Judicial Administrative Order.
• Payments may be mailed to the Lawrence Municipal Court, PO Box 1695, Lawrence, KS 66044. Please reference the citation number, docket number, or defendant's name, or include the citation with your payment. Please make checks payable to the City of Lawrence. There will be a $35.00 charge on all returned checks.
• Community Service Work is available to everyone. For every hour worked, $10 will be credited towards fines and fees, with the exception of court costs, restitution and any other state mandated fees.
• If payment of reinstatement fees, fines and/or court costs would impose manifest hardship on you or your immediate family, you may submit a Motion to the Court for consideration, pursuant to K.S.A. 8-2110(e), as amended by SB 127. This is the Motion for Reduction of Fines(PDF, 76KB).

The Lawrence Police Department will follow the Administrative Policy for Municipal Citation Accountability(PDF, 117KB) when asked to void or dismiss a citation. Voiding a ticket is a term utilized to describe the action of cancelling a citation that has been initiated or completed, but has not yet been filed with, or submitted to Municipal Court. Dismissal of a citation is the term used to describe the action of ceasing prosecution after a citation has been filed with or submitted to Municipal Court. The Municipal Court and City Prosecutor's Office will adhere to the Administrative Policy for the Dismissal of Citations in Municipal Court by Prosecutor and Court Staff(PDF, 217KB) when dismissing a citation.

There are several sentencing options in Municipal Court such as jail time, fines, fees, restitution, community service, house arrest, and probation.

If you are found guilty of the charge(s), the judge will announce a penalty at the time of sentencing.

Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In a trial, the burden of proof is on the city to present evidence and argue that the evidence proves the defendant is guilty.

There are no jury trials in Municipal Court. Trials are held before the Municipal Court Judge.

You have the right to be represented by an attorney. If you choose not to be represented by an attorney, you may act as your own attorney.

The prosecutor may call witness to testify and after each testimony you will have the opportunity to cross-examine each witness. You may use the Court's subpoena power to require witnesses to appear at trial.