Court Operations & Procedures

There are three options to request an amendment of a moving violation to a non-moving violation:

• Contact the prosecutor by email at prosecutor@leawood.org.
• If you meet certain requirements, you may be able to amend in person by speaking with a court clerk. Click here for more information about amending moving violations.
• Appear in court on your scheduled court date and time and ask to speak to the Prosecutor.

Leawood Municipal Court does not require you to have an attorney to request an amendment of your charge.

If you are unable to attend your scheduled court date, contact the court at 913-339-6735 or by email at court@leawood.org to request a continuance. The email should include your name as written on the ticket and the reason for requesting a continuance. Please note that the court clerk will attempt to respond to your email within 24 hours. However, if you have not received a new court date you must attend your originally scheduled court date.

Failure to attend your court date may result in a warrant for your arrest, suspension of your driver’s license, or transfer of your case to a collection agency.

Many criminal cases are concluded without a trial. Some cases may be disposed of without a trial through a plea agreement or diversion program. Under a plea agreement, the defendant agrees to plead guilty or no contest to the charge or to an amended charge.

Diversion may be available for certain cases at the discretion of the Prosecutor and as provided by law. As part of a diversion, the defendant agrees to comply with certain conditions for a period of time. If the defendant successfully complies with all the conditions in the diversion, the charges will be dismissed. If the court finds the defendant has failed to comply with all conditions, the diversion may be revoked and the original charge(s) immediately reinstated. The defendant could then be found guilty based upon stipulations in the diversion agreement, and sentenced. Please click here for the diversion application.

Diversions and plea agreements are offered at the sole discretion of the Prosecutor. The Prosecutor has authorized the Court Clerks to process specific amendments in traffic cases under certain circumstances. Please click here for the amendment policy.

You may discuss your options with the Prosecutor in court on your scheduled court date or by email at prosecutor@leawood.org.

A defendant may choose to retain an attorney in any municipal court case. If a defendant is indigent, and if the offense charged carries a possible jail penalty, then, upon request by the defendant, the court will appoint a public defender.

Arraignment is the formal appearance of the defendant before the judge to enter a plea to the charge(s). One of three pleas may be entered:

Guilty means the defendant admits to having committed the act(s) in the complaint.

Not Guilty means the defendant denies guilt thereby making it necessary for the City to prove the charge(s). The matter will be scheduled for trial at a future date and the City will be required to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

No Contest means the defendant does not contest the charge(s). Upon a plea of no contest, the Judge finds the defendant guilty, and will order a fine, jail time or other appropriate sentence. A plea of no contest is not an admission of fault and cannot be used against you in a subsequent proceeding.

If a case cannot be resolved by plea negotiations, it will be scheduled for trial. At the conclusion of the trial, the Judge will reach a verdict after considering the charges, the testimony, and all other facts and evidence presented to the Court.

Prior to the trial, the defendant may ask the Court to issue subpoenas compelling witnesses to appear at trial. However, the defendant must furnish names and addresses of these witnesses to the Court at least two weeks prior to the date of the trial. The defendant is responsible for obtaining service on his/her own subpoenas.

At trial, the Prosecutor will call witnesses to testify against the defendant. After each prosecution witness testifies, the defendant has a right to cross-examine each witness. After the prosecution has presented its case, the defendant may then call any witnesses on his/her behalf.

The defendant has both the right to testify and a constitutional right not to testify. If a defendant chooses not to testify, this choice will not be used by the judge in determining guilt or innocence. If the defendant does testify, the prosecution has a right to cross-examine him/her.

If the defendant pleads or is found guilty, the Judge will impose a sentence. Fines, fees and/or jail time may be assessed against the defendant. The amount of the fine or jail is determined upon the facts and circumstances of the case. All fines and fees are expected to be paid the day they are assessed. The Court accepts cash, check, money order or credit card for payment.

If you are an Attorney who wishes to withdraw from a case, you must file a Motion to Withdraw and copy your client on the Notice of Hearing. The hearing date should be the next date on which the case is set. Motions can be mailed, faxed, or emailed to the court at court@leawood.org. You do not need to appear on the hearing date if you have filed the Notice of Hearing indicating that your client was notified.

Please do not appear on a court date and ask for permission to withdraw unless you have provided Notice of Hearing to your client.