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City attorney staff propose switching many Helena code defaults from criminal penalties to municipal infractions
Summary
A staff presentation proposed replacing the city-code default criminal penalty (often a $500 fine and up to six months' jail) with municipal infractions: up to $300 for a first offense and up to $500 for a second offense, while retaining criminal penalties for a limited set of serious violations.
City attorney staff presented proposed ordinance language to the commission to remove the default criminal penalty from many sections of Helena's municipal code and replace it with a civil municipal-infraction enforcement regime. Matt Peterson, who led the presentation, said Billings, Bozeman and Missoula have adopted similar systems.
Peterson explained that…
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