Beckley Police Department

Records Division	Detective Bureau	Police K-9 Unit
Municipal Court	Highway Safety	Parking Enforcement
Support Services	Training	Narcotics Unit
Domestic Violence

Municipal Court

Beckley Municipal Court is held every Tuesday and Thursday morning, except for holidays and inclement weather schedules. We currently utilize two Municipal Court Judges. Both have extensive background experience in criminal and civil law. The Municipal Court supervisor is Lieutenant L.D. Christian.

Our court division also has two full-time court clerks who deal strictly with court related matters. Our Municipal Court Division

Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide a forum for the fair and impartial adjudication of Beckley Municipal Code violations and West Virginia State Code violations; to resolve these cases rapidly and efficiently in an environment that is safe for all concerned. We will do this in a manner which promotes and upholds the integrity and independence of the judges, thereby maximizing the community's confidence in the court.

We will become increasingly customer service-oriented, technologically innovative, efficient and creative in all our operations and will strive constantly to maintain a supportive working environment by encouraging teamwork and employee growth.

What We Do

A municipal court is a trial court that deals exclusively with cases involving city ordinance violations. Offenses brought before a municipal court are those that occur within the limits of the municipality. Examples of violations handled in municipal court are: traffic, assault and battery, disorderly conduct, vandalism, loitering, theft, shoplifting, building code and fire code. Characteristics of a municipal court include the following:

· A sentence to pay monetary forfeitures to the City is the primary sentence imposed on a guilty defendant. In addition, a municipal judge may require a defendant's participation in a community service or educational program. If a defendant does not pay the forfeiture, a judge may suspend the defendant's driving privileges or put him or her in jail.

· Municipal court records are public records. This means that with the exception of juvenile cases, the records of all municipal court proceedings are accessible to everyone.

· All actions of the municipal court are appealable. Both the defendant and the City Attorney have the right to appeal the decision of the judge. Appeals are heard at the Circuit Court.

Court Trials

You may download our information sheet which details the Beckley Municipal Court procedures and your rights. If you request a trial and require a witnesses subpoenaed, you may complete our Witness Subpoena Request Form, and mail it to the address listed below. Please make sure this is mailed to enable the form to be received by our Court at least two (2) weeks prior to your trial date.

	Beckley Municipal Court
	340 Prince Street
	Beckley, WV 25801
	Phone:	(304) 256-1719
	FAX:	(304) 256-1731
	7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
	Monday through Friday

WV Points System and Licensing Information

For information regarding your West Virginia Drivers License or West Virginia Registered Vehicle, you may visit the West Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles Website

IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Emergency	911
Police Main	(304)256-1720
City Hall	(304)256-1768