Franklin County Criminal Defense Lawyers
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JMH Law Firm, LLC takes criminal defense and traffic cases in Franklin County, at the Judicial Center in Union and in the county's municipal courts. Clients in Franklin County work with our Brentwood office.
The Franklin County Judicial Center in Union
Franklin County is part of Missouri's 20th Judicial Circuit, which also covers Gasconade and Osage counties (RSMo 478.630). Union has been the county seat since 1825. State criminal cases are heard at the Franklin County Judicial Center, 401 E. Main Street, Union, MO 63084.
The Circuit Clerk's office handles criminal case filings and collects fines and court costs. Its criminal department is at 636-583-7365. Franklin County is an e-filing court, so lawyers file everything electronically. You can look up any public case on Missouri Case.net.
How a criminal case moves in Franklin County
The Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney's office brings state criminal cases in the county, from murder and drug charges to speeding tickets and DWIs. A typical case goes like this:
- Arrest or summons, and bond. People arrested in the county are held at the Franklin County Adult Detention Facility, 1 Bruns Lane in Union, which also houses detainees for the cities in the county. The sheriff's office takes bond payments by card at the jail or by phone, and in cash at the Judicial Center.
- First appearance before an associate circuit judge.
- Preliminary hearing for a felony. Before the prosecutor can file the formal felony charge, you have the right to a preliminary hearing before an associate circuit judge (RSMo 544.250). The judge decides whether there's enough evidence for the case to go forward. You can waive it.
- Arraignment before a circuit judge, where you enter a plea to the felony charge.
- A plea or a trial, then sentencing.
Misdemeanors skip the preliminary hearing. Read more on our felony defense, misdemeanor defense and drug crimes pages.
Missouri law lets each circuit set up treatment courts for adults, DWI cases, families and veterans, among others. Finishing one can lead to charges being dismissed, reduced or modified (RSMo 478.001). Ask your lawyer whether a program in the 20th Circuit could fit your case.
Traffic tickets: the Wednesday docket
According to the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney, traffic cases are heard in the Associate Circuit Court on Wednesday of each week. State traffic charges, such as a Highway Patrol ticket on I-44, are normally heard there. MoDOT counts about 40,000 vehicles a day on I-44 in Franklin County.
Two practical points from the prosecutor's office:
- If you have a lawyer, the assistant prosecutors send a recommendation on the ticket to your lawyer by email after the lawyer files an entry of appearance.
- If it's a no-insurance ticket and you were insured that day, bring the ticket and your original insurance card to the prosecutor's office. The ticket will be dismissed with the right documents. A declarations page isn't accepted, and buying insurance afterward doesn't get the ticket dismissed.
A DWI charge is more serious than a ticket, even a first one. See our DWI defense page and our traffic tickets section.
Municipal courts in Franklin County
A ticket for a city or county ordinance doesn't go to the Judicial Center. It goes to a municipal court (RSMo 479.010):
- Franklin County Municipal Court. The county created its own municipal court in 2012 for county ordinance cases: traffic citations and planning, zoning, health and building code violations. Court meets on the first and third Thursday of each month at 4:30 p.m. in the Edward A. Stierberger Memorial Courtroom, on the third floor of the historic courthouse at 15 South Church Street in Union. You can't plead not guilty by phone. You appear, or your lawyer files the plea with an entry of appearance.
- City of Union. Tickets written by Union police in the city limits go to the Union night court at City Hall, 10 E. Locust Street.
- City of Pacific. The Pacific Municipal Court, a division of the 20th Circuit, meets two or three Thursdays a month at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 300 Hoven Drive. Any ticket involving an accident requires a court appearance. Part of Pacific lies in St. Louis County, but its court belongs to the 20th Circuit.
Read the court name and address on your ticket to know where you're going. After a trial in a municipal court, Missouri law generally lets you apply for a new trial in the circuit court within 10 days of the judgment (RSMo 479.200).
Towns we serve in Franklin County
We take cases from across the county, including Union, Washington, Pacific, St. Clair, Sullivan, New Haven, Gray Summit and Villa Ridge.
Talk to a lawyer about your Franklin County case
If you've been charged or ticketed in Franklin County, call JMH Law Firm at 314-827-6222 or send us a message. Our Brentwood office is at 8821 Manchester Road, Brentwood, MO 63144. See all the areas we serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Franklin County courthouse?
State criminal cases are heard at the Franklin County Judicial Center, 401 E. Main Street, Union, MO 63084. The Franklin County Municipal Court is in a different building, the historic courthouse at 15 South Church Street in Union.
When are traffic cases heard in Franklin County?
According to the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney, traffic cases are heard in the Associate Circuit Court on Wednesday of each week. If you hire a lawyer, the prosecutor's office emails its recommendation on the ticket to your lawyer after the lawyer files an entry of appearance.
I got a no-insurance ticket in Franklin County, but I was insured. What should I do?
The prosecutor's office says to bring the ticket and your original insurance card showing coverage on the ticket date to its office. With the right documents, the ticket will be dismissed. A declarations page isn't accepted, and buying insurance after the ticket won't get it dismissed.
My ticket says Franklin County Municipal Court. Is that the circuit court?
No. The Franklin County Municipal Court, created in 2012, hears county ordinance cases, including traffic citations and zoning, health and building code violations. It meets on the first and third Thursday of each month at 4:30 p.m. at 15 South Church Street in Union. To plead not guilty, you have to appear in court or have a lawyer file the plea.
How do I post bond for someone in the Franklin County jail?
The sheriff's office lists three ways. You can pay by card in person at the jail, 1 Bruns Lane in Union, or by card over the phone through the sheriff's payment line. You can also pay in cash in person at the Judicial Center. The Judicial Center doesn't currently take credit cards.
