Mo. Rev. Stat. § 479.010

Violations of municipal ordinances shall be heard and determined only before divisions of the circuit court as hereinafter provided in this chapter. "Heard and determined", for purposes of this chapter, shall mean any process under which the court in question retains the final authority to make factual determinations pertaining to allegations of a municipal ordinance violation, including, but not limited to, the use of a system of administrative adjudication as provided in section 479.011, preliminary to a determination by appeal to the court in question.