Which statement best summarizes the authority to set penalties for municipal offenses?

• A. Statutes establish limits on maximum penalties
• B. Municipalities may set unlimited penalties
• C. Only the state supreme court can set penalties
• D. Penalties are set by the federal government

Answer: (A)

Penalties for municipal offenses come from state statutes that set the maximum penalties. Local governments can create ordinances to address offenses within those state-imposed limits, so penalties must stay within what the statute allows. If the state cap for a certain offense is a $500 fine (or up to a set period of jail), a city can’t impose a higher penalty; it can only enforce penalties up to that limit. The state supreme court doesn’t decide these penalties, and the federal government isn’t responsible for setting them, so those options don’t fit.