Under what conditions can persons under age 15 be prosecuted in municipal court for fine-only misdemeanor offenses?

• A. Traffic offenses punishable by a fine only, plus other state law misdemeanors punishable by fine only and city ordinances.
• B. All traffic offenses, including those punishable by incarceration.
• C. Only state law misdemeanors punishable by fine only.
• D. Any fine-only offense, regardless of age.

Answer: (A)

Jurisdiction for minors hinges on age and the way an offense is punished. For someone under 15, the only matters a municipal court can handle are offenses that are punishable only by a fine, and which fall into these three categories: traffic offenses punishable by a fine only, other state-law misdemeanors punishable by a fine only, and city ordinances. If an offense could involve jail time or a penalty other than a fine, it isn’t eligible to be prosecuted in municipal court for someone this young. That’s why the correct choice includes all three categories—traffic offenses that are fined only, other state-law misdemeanors fined only, and city ordinances. The other options fail because they either miss one of these categories, or overextend municipal court authority to age groups or penalties that aren’t allowed.