Crawford County Criminal Court handles all criminal cases that are filed in Crawford County. See below for more information about criminal cases in Crawford County.
Prosecutor in Crawford County
In Crawford County, the prosecutor is an attorney representing Crawford County. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent Arkansas. For the most part, the prosecutor in Crawford County has discretion to both decide whether to file charges and also negotiate a potential plea deal with the defendant.
Right to Jury Trial
For “Serious Crimes”, those that can have a potential penalty of 6 months in jail OR a minimum $500 penalty, the US Constitution guarantees a right to trial by jury. This is guaranteed by Article III of the Constitution and the 6th Amendment. The accused has the ability to waive their right to trial by jury.
Crawford County Criminal Court
Appealing a Criminal Conviciton
A defendant may appeal a criminal conviction to an appellate court. In an appeal, the actual trial is not redone, but the appellate court hears arguments that the criminal case was not handled in a legal manner at the original criminal court. The appellate court can either uphold the conviction, or determine that errors were made and may request a retrial, a resentencing of the defendant or that the charges be dismissed.
What is Jury Deliberation?
After both the prosecution and defense have presented their cases, the judge in the case will provide instructions to the jury about what they must decide. The jury will be dismissed to the jury room where they will deliberate about the guilt or innocence of the defendant. After reaching a unaminous decision, they return their decision to the court where it is read aloud in the courtroom. If the jury is unable to reach a unaminous decision, the jury is deadlocked, also known as a hung jury, in which a mistrial will be declared.
What if I can’t afford an attorney?
The 6th Amendment guarantees you the right to an attorney whether or not you can afford one. If you cannot afford one, a public defender will be appointed by the court to represent you.
Sentencing in Crawford County
In Crawford County if the defendant is found guilty (by trial or plea), the defendant will be sentenced. This sometimes occurrs immediately after being found guilty, but can also take place at a later date. In most instances, a judge will impose the sentence that is requested by the prosecution, but they also have the descretion to impose a different sentence.
Where can I get help for my Crawford County criminal case?
The 6th amendment of the United States Constitution provides a criminal defendant with the right to an attorney. As read in the miranda rights, this means that if a defendant cannot afford to hire a private attorney a legal attorney will be appointed to the defendant to represent him at no cost to the defendant. This is often a public defender. In addition, the court clerk for Crawford County will also be able to provide general information about a specific criminal case. The clerk can only provide information and is not an attorney so they cannot provide legal advice, only a licensed attorney can provide legal advice about what the best options for are for your particular case.
What is a Plea Agreement?
A plea agreement is a deal made between the prosecution and the defendant in a case, where the defendant agrees to plea guilty to a particular charge in exchange for some concession from the prosecutor. In practice, more than 90% of criminal cases end with a plea agreement.
Required Court Appearances in Crawford County
Any required court appearances in Crawford County Criminal Court must be attended by the defendant. Failure to appear in court at your required date and time may result in the judge issuing an arrest warrant.
Crawford County Criminal Court locations
Criminal proceedings take place in the Crawford County Criminal Courts. A list of the criminal courts are located here.
Crawford County Arraignments
An arraignment is a court hearing. In Crawford County this is the first thing that will happen in a criminal case. The defendant will be brought before a judge in Crawford County Criminal Court and the judge will read the charges that were filed against the defendant. The judge will also read the rights the defendant has and ask the defendant if they understand both the charges filed against them and their rights as a defendant in the case. In Crawford County a plea of Guilty, Not Guilty or No Contest may be entered. In a guilty or no contest plea the sentencing of the defendant may take place at the same arraignment hearing or a later date may be scheduled for sentencing. For a not guilty plea, a date will be set for a trial.
Burden of Proof
The burden of proof is always on the prosecution in a criminal trial. In other words, the prosecution has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime. The defense must only prove that there is a reasonable possibility that the defendant did NOT commit the crime. If the prosecution cannot prove that the defendant committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt, the jury will be instructed to find the defendant not-guilty.
Crawford County Criminal Court Locations
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Crawford County Circuit Court
Address: 300 Main St, #22, Van Buren AR 72956
Phone: 479-474-1821 Fax: 479-471-0622 -
Crawford County District Court – Alma
Address: 804 Fayetteville Ave, Alma AR 72921
Phone: 479-632-4170 Fax: 479-632-4516 -
Crawford County District Court – Mountainburg
Address: PO Box 433, Mountainburg AR 72946
Phone: 479-369-2791 Fax: 479-369-4674 -
Crawford County District Court – Mulberry
Address: PO Box 448, Mulberry AR 72947
Phone: 479-997-1321 Fax: 479-997-1232 -
Crawford County District Court – Van Buren
Address: 1003 Broadway, Van Buren AR 72956
Phone: 479-474-1671 Fax: 479-471-5005