MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon Municipal Court processed 8,147 cases in 2007, according to its recently released annual report. Municipal Clerk Judy Smith said that although traffic cases were down slightly this year, the total number is consistent with past years.
The court handled 5,491 traffic violations, 1,088 criminal cases, 1,252 civil cases, and 316 small claims issues.
In criminal matters, Smith reported that 303 citations were issued in Knox County for operating a vehicle under the influence. OVI citations were highest in October, with 42 issued; August was the lowest month, with only 15 issued. Of those cases, the report states that 214 were for a first offense, 62 for second offenses and 10 were third offenses. An offender with more than three OVI convictions is handled through felony Common Pleas Court.
Of the cases handled in 2007, along with those still pending from the year before, the court accepted 288 guilty or no-contest pleas, accepted 46 pleas to lesser charges, dismissed 11 cases, and held three court trials and one jury trial.
One hundred and twenty-two domestic violence cases were filed last year. In 43 of those cases, the defendant either pleaded guilty or was found guilty, 24 pleaded to reduced charges, 43 cases were dismissed and one was found not guilty.
The court collected, through costs, fees and fines, a total of $1,715,264.02 in 2007; nearly $900,000 of that was collected through criminal and traffic cases. According to the report, that money is divided among the different agencies that contributed to the case. The city of Mount Vernon received over $545,000 for its criminal and traffic division. That money is divided among police, prosecutors and other administrative offices.
In civil cases, the court processed 752 contract disputes, 271 evictions and 25 personal injury suits.
A copy of the report is available for public viewing upon request at the Municipal Clerk’s Office, 5 N. Gay St., during regular business hours.
