City of Danville v. Hartshorn

At first blush it would appear that this case is much ado about nothing. Rut is it? Is the violation of a municipal ordinance a civil case or a criminal one? If it is civil, is a trial by jury available and do the normal pre-trial discovery procedures apply? If it is criminal, is the right to a jury trial abated under the theory that it is a “petty” matter? Defendant-appellant and city-appellee at least agree that there are two issues posed in this appeal: (1) Whether a defendant is entitled to a jury trial in the prosecution of a city ordinance violation the penalty for which is only a fine,…