Which matters must be initiated in municipal court because they occur within the territorial jurisdiction of the city and ETJ?

• A. Criminal offenses under state law
• B. Civil matters between residents exceeding a threshold
• C. Violations of city ordinances and ETJ rules of a joint airport board that occur in the territorial jurisdiction of the city and property owned by the city in the ETJ
• D. Criminal felonies in other counties

Answer: (C)

Municipal courts handle matters that arise within a city’s territorial reach, including its extraterritorial jurisdiction, for violations of city ordinances and ETJ rules. If a violation happens inside the city limits or on property owned by the city in the ETJ, the municipal court is the proper venue to initiate the case. In this scenario, violations of city ordinances and ETJ rules of a joint airport board occur within the city’s jurisdiction and on city-owned ETJ property, so they belong in municipal court.

Criminal offenses under state law are typically handled by county or state-level courts, not the municipal court. Civil matters between residents that exceed a local monetary threshold generally fall outside municipal jurisdiction and are addressed in county civil courts or other appropriate fora. Felonies occurring in other counties are handled in the courts of those counties, not in the city’s municipal court.