06/21/2018
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo (June 21, 2018) Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway today released the audit of Sugar Creek Municipal Court, which serves portions of Clay and Jackson counties. The report, which received an overall rating of fair, includes recommendations in several areas to improve oversight and record keeping.
"Lack of appropriate oversight heightens the risk of errors on case files or that funds are lost, stolen or misused," Auditor Galloway said. "In cases where court employees are responsible for managing multiple roles, other personnel should review their work to ensure accuracy and to safeguard against miscalculations."
Auditors found the court clerk frequently used a signature stamp for issuing warrants instead of having them signed by the judge or documenting specific authorization from the judge to issue the warrant. The municipal division also assessed improper fines and court costs related to seatbelt and headlight usage violations. The court has since addressed these issues and discontinued collecting these improper fines and costs.
The audit also found that court personnel did not adequately segregate tasks or work with the police department to properly track tickets issued.
The complete audit of the Sugar Creek Municipal Court can be found here.
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