Baldwin County Criminal Court hears all criminal cases in Baldwin County. Below you will find specific information about criminal cases and how they are handled in Baldwin County.
Baldwin County Required Court Appearances
In Baldwin County, there are both required and non-required court appearances for the defendant. At a required or mandatory appearance hearing, the defendant is required to appear in person before the court. Failing to appear at your required hearing may result in a bench warrant being issued for your arrest by the judge.
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.
Baldwin County Criminal Court
Right to an attorney
The US Constitution’s Sixth Amendment ensures the right to an attorney regardless of whether or not you can afford one. In Baldwin County a public defender will be appointed by the judge if you cannot afford private representation.
Plea Agreements
A Plea Agreement, sometimes known as a Plea Bargain is an agreement between the prosecution and the defendant, where the defendant pleads guilty or no contest often in exchange for a lesser charge or lighter recommended sentence. A large majority of criminal cases end in a plea agreement. In Baldwin County you can inform your attorney to negotiate with the prosecution to attempt to come to a plea agreement, but this is dependent upon the charge severity and also the prosecutors willingness to accept a plea deal.
Baldwin County Criminal Court locations
Criminal proceedings take place in the Baldwin County Criminal Courts. A list of the criminal courts are located here.
Baldwin County Prosecutor
For criminal cases in Baldwin County, the prosecutor will be a representative of Baldwin County. The Baldwin County prosecutor reviews all evidence and ultimately decides whether to file or dismiss charges in the case. Most of the time, the prosecutor has leeway in plea negotiations and determines how the case will be prosecuted.
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.
Burden of Proof Requirement
In a criminal case in the United States, the burden of proof always requires the prosecutor to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty. This is a high threshold that must be met by the prosecution when presenting evidence in a case. If the prosecution fails in it’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt the judge must find the defendant not guilty. In a jury trial, the judge will inform the jury what this burden is and their obligation to find the defendant not guilty if they feel the prosecution did prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
Jury Deliberations in Baldwin County
In Baldwin County, jury deliberations will take place in a jury trial after the prosecution and defense have presented their cases and rested. At this point, the judge will provide a list of instructions to the jury about what they are allowed and not allowed to do and what verdict options are available for them to decide. The jury will be sent to a private room to discuss the evidence presented in the case and attempt to reach a unaminous decision. When a unaminous decision is reached, the jury will inform the judge that they have reached a verdict and will return to the courtroom for the verdict to be read allowed. In the event that the jury cannot reach a unanimous verdict, the jury results in a deadlock and a mistrial is declared.
Where can I get help for my Baldwin 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 Baldwin 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.
Arraignments in Baldwin County
During an arraignment in Baldwin County, a defendant appears before the court and the judge reads the charges that have been filed against the accused and also informs the defendant of his/her rights. During the arraignment in Baldwin County, the defendant can choose to plead one of the following 1) Guilty 2) Not Guilty or 3) No Contest. If the defendant enters a plea of Not Guilty, a date for trial is set. In the event of a Guilty or No Contest Plea in Baldwin County the defendant may be sentenced at that time or the sentencing may take place at a later date.
Baldwin County Criminal Court Locations
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Baldwin County Superior Court
Address: 121 North Wilkinson Street, Suite 209, Milledgeville GA 31061
Phone: 478-445-1649 (Traffic) Fax: 478-445-6039 -
State Court of Baldwin County
Address: 121 North Wilkinson Street, Suite 209, Milledgeville GA 31061
Phone: 478-445-1649 (Traffic) Fax: 478-445-6039 -
Baldwin County Magistrate Court
Address: 121 North Wilkinson Street, Suite 107, Milledgeville GA 31061
Phone: 478-445-4446 Fax 478-445-5918 -
Baldwin County Juvenile Court
Address: 121 North Wilkinson Street, Suite 209, Milledgeville GA 31061
Phone: 478-445-1649 (Traffic) Fax: 478-445-6039 -
Municipal Court of Milledgeville
Address: 125 West McIntosh Street, Milledgeville GA 31061
Phone: 478-414-4004 or 478-414-4077