Montana Code 3-11-102. Concurrent jurisdiction
3-11-102. Concurrent jurisdiction. (1) The city court has concurrent jurisdiction with the justice’s court of all misdemeanors and proceedings mentioned and provided for under chapter 10, part 3, of this title.
Terms Used In Montana Code 3-11-102
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Preliminary hearing: A hearing where the judge decides whether there is enough evidence to make the defendant have a trial.
(2)Applications for search warrants and complaints charging the commission of a felony may be filed in the city court. When they are filed, the city judge has the same jurisdiction and responsibility as a justice of the peace, including the holding of a preliminary hearing. The city attorney may file an application for a search warrant or a complaint charging the commission of a felony when the offense was committed within the city limits. The county attorney, however, must handle any action after a defendant is bound over to district court.