JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – State Auditor Nicole Galloway released the results of her office’s audit into the Leadington municipal court from St. Francois County and found it wanting.
Galloway only gave the court a “fair” rating, just above the lowest rating of “Poor,” for failing to assess certain court costs in accordance with the law. The court assessed a one dollar fee on municipal violations, but did not authorize the right to institute such a tax through a city ordinance.
Among the other problems, the court failed to report case information of 178 cases to the Office of State Courts Administrator, the judge failed to approve the final disposition of all cases, and the court failed to work with the police department to account for traffic and parking tickets.
“Missourians deserve to have confidence that their local courts are operating efficiently and fairly,” Galloway said. “Because audits get results, Leadington officials have already taken steps to address many of the issues identified in my audit. As Missourians, we all benefit when public officials and organizations are responsive to recommendations that lead to better service for citizens.”
The audit was a part of the Municipal Courts Initiative which has been an ongoing project of the Auditor’s office to audit more municipal courts after accounts of abuse in lower government systems.
