Frequently Asked Questions

1. Contact the Garden City Municipal Court to see if a bench warrant has been issued for your arrest. 
2. If a bench warrant has been issued, you can call the office to schedule an in-person appearance. Your warrant will remain active until you appear in person and the judge decides to lift it.
3. You can email the judge to request approval to vacate your bench warrant.
4. You can turn yourself into the Finney County Jail and post a bond for release.

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

Municipal Court enforces violations of City ordinances for traffic and ordinance violations, such as nuisance, zoning, and fire code violations.

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

You always have the right to an attorney, but you are not required to have an attorney represent you. 

People are seen in the order they arrive. If you are late, you will be allowed only one continuance at the window without the judge’s approval. Your items will be searched.

1. Attorney Options
   1. Contract attorney – you always have the right to hire your attorney.
   2. Court-appointed attorney – if you cannot afford to hire an attorney and you are facing a jail sentence, you may apply for a court-appointed attorney in court. The judge will determine whether or not you qualify based on your income.
   3. Waiver – if you do not wish to have an attorney represent you, you may waive your right to an attorney. 
2. Plea Types
   1. Guilty – you are stating in which you agree you have committed the crime charged against you and you will be convicted.
   2. Not Guilty – you are asking the court to set the matter for trial and to require the City to prove it’s case against you beyond a reasonable doubt.
   3. No Contest – you neither admit nor deny the charges against you but by entering this plea you understand you will be convicted based on the City providing the court with a factual basis for a finding of guilt.
3. Trial
   1. You have the right to a trial and to have the City prove its case against you beyond a reasonable doubt.
   2. You have the right to call witnesses on your behalf and to confront any witnesses against you.
   3. You have the right to remain silent. You are not required to testify at your trial. If you choose not to testify, your silence will not be used against you in determining whether or not you should be convicted. 

7. Appeal
   1. You have the right to appeal any convictions of the Garden City Municipal Court to the Finney County District Court. You can contact the Garden City Municipal Court for the appearance bond amount or any other instructions on this process.
   2. If you can’t make it to court, please send a request for a continuance here at municipal.court@gardencityks.us