Orange County Criminal Court

Orange County Criminal Court handles all criminal cases that are filed in Orange County. See below for more information about criminal cases in Orange County.

Required Court Appearances in Orange County

Any required court appearances in Orange 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.

Can I appeal a guilty verdict?

If found guilty, a defendant may decide to appeal his case to an appelate court. The appellate court will not retry the case, they will examine the proceedings in the lower court to make sure they were done in a legal manner. The appellate court can either uphold the original conviction, or determine that due to errors made in the original trial, that there must be a retrial, resentencing or a complete dismissal of the charges.

Orange County Criminal Court

Orange County Criminal Court

Orange County Arraignments

An arraignment is a court hearing. In Orange County this is the first thing that will happen in a criminal case. The defendant will be brought before a judge in Orange 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 Orange 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.

What is the Burden of Proof?

The term “Burden of Proof” means that the prosecutor is required to prove the guilt of the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt. If the prosecutor cannot provide proof of the defendants guilt, then the judge or jury in a trial must find the defendant not guilty. In the United States the principle innocent until proven guilty derives from this that the defendant is assumed innocent and the prosecution has the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty.

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.

Defendant Sentencing

At a sentence hearing the judge will inform the defendant of the sentence that will be imposed. This sometimes occurs at the same hearing in which the defendant is found guilty (either by trial or plea agreement). In can also occur at a later date, most often this is due to the complexity of the case where more time is needed to determine the appropriate sentence.

Prosecutor in Orange County

In Orange County, the prosecutor is an attorney representing Orange County. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent Florida. For the most part, the prosecutor in Orange County has discretion to both decide whether to file charges and also negotiate a potential plea deal with the defendant.

Where will Orange County criminal case hearings take place?

Criminal cases will take place at the criminal courts of Orange County. See here for the location of the criminal courts in Orange County.

Where can I get help for my Orange 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 Orange 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.

Jury Deliberation

In a jury trial in Orange County, after both the prosecution and defense have rested, the judge will give instructions to the jury and jury deliberations will begin. The jury will convence in a private room to discuss and deliberate the innocence or guilt of the defendant. Once the jury arrives at a unimanous decision, they will inform the judge that they have reached a decision. They will return to the court and the verdict will be read aloud. If the jury cannot reach a unaminous decision, the jury is said to be deadlocked and a mistrial will be declared in the case.

The Right to Trial by Jury

The Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees the right to a trial by a jury. This is applicable for when the crime can carry a sentence of 6 months in jail OR a $500 fine, these are known as “Serious Crimes”. The defendant can also waive their right to a speedy and public trial.

The Right to Counsel

The Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the U.s. Constitution give defendants in criminal cases the right to counsel/attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed to represent you. Like other rights a defendant has, this one can be waived as well and alternatively you can choose to represent yourself.

Orange County Criminal Court Locations

  • Orange County Circuit Court

    Address: 425 North Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801
    Phone: 407-836-2000 Fax: 407-836-2269

  • Orange County Circuit Court – Apopka Branch

    Address: 1111 North Rock Springs Road, Apopka, FL 32712
    Phone: 407-836-2007 Fax: 407-254-1031

  • Orange County Circuit Court – Winter Park Branch

    Address: 450 North Lakemont Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32792
    Phone: 407-836-2007 Fax: 407-836-0558

  • Orange County Circuit Court – Goldenrod

    Address: 684 Goldenrod Road, Orlando, FL 32822
    Phone: 407-836-2007

  • Orange County Circuit Court – Juvenile Division

    Address: 2000 East Michigan Street, Suite 300, Orlando, FL 32806
    Phone: 407-836-2000

  • Orange County Circuit Court – Ocoee Branch

    Address: 475 West Story Road, Ocoee, FL 34761
    Phone: 407-836-2007 Fax: 407-254-6841

  • County Court of Orange County

    Address: 425 North Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801
    Phone: 407-836-2000 Fax: 407-836-2269

  • County Court of Orange County – Winter Park Branch

    Address: 450 North Lakemont Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32792
    Phone: 407-836-2007 Fax: 407-836-0558

  • County Court of Orange County – Apopka Branch

    Address: 1111 North Rock Springs Road, Apopka, FL 32712
    Phone: 407-836-2007 Fax: 407-654-1031

  • County Court of Orange County – Goldenrod

    Address: 684 Goldenrod Road, Orlando, FL 32822
    Phone: 407-836-2007

  • County Court of Orange County – Juvenile Division

    Address: 2000 East Michigan Street, Suite 300, Orlando, FL 32806
    Phone: 407-836-2000

  • County Court of Orange County – Ocoee Branch

    Address: 475 West Story Road, Ocoee, FL 34761
    Phone: 407-836-2007 Fax: 407-254-6841

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