FAQs • Watonwan County, MN • CivicEngage

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Courts - Criminal Traffic Division

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1. What is the sentence?

The sentence depends on the level of the offense.

A felony is no less than 1 year and 1 day and it goes up from that depending on the charge

A gross misdemeanor is $3,000 and 1 year in jail

A misdemeanor is a $1,000 and/or 90 days in jail

A petty misdemeanor is a maximum of a $300 fine

2. What is my court date?: This is assigned by the officer on the citation or at the first appearance in court.

3. Can I get an extension to pay my fine?: Extensions are granted. Arraignments can be continued 30 days to pay the fine. Extensions beyond that are handled through our screener / collector.

4. How do I change my court date?: Arraignments, Rule 5, and Rule 8 hearings can be continued by our office one time only for one week; requests for further continuances on these hearings and all other types of hearings must be agreed to by the prosecuting attorney and approved by the court. These requests must be made in writing.

5. What do I do to get my driver's license back? It is suspended.: If the suspension is for an unpaid fine, the defendant must pay the fine. If it is suspended by the state for too many violations or some other reason, the defendant must contact the state at 651-296-6911.

6. I have a warrant, what do I do?: The defendant has a couple of choices. He or she may post bail at their local law enforcement agency or at the Watonwan County Sheriff's department and obtain a new date from them at that time. They could also turn themselves in and wait to be brought up to court to see the judge.

7. How do I get copies of paperwork in a file?: The copies can be requested by letter or in person. The copies must be paid for before they are issued. The cost is $8 per copy for each filed document or $14 per copy if it needs to be a certified copy of the original.

8. Does "someone" have a warrant for his or her arrest?: Our office does not give this information over the phone to anyone but the defendant. You can use the public terminal to check for this information.