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.
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 Crawford County a public defender will be appointed by the judge if you cannot afford private representation.
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.
Crawford County Criminal Court
Who can help me in Crawford County?
For general information about your case the Crawford County court clerk will be able to provide legal information about your specific criminal case. Legal information is not legal advice though, the court clerk will only be able to provide information about your case, like date/time of hearings what will occur at the hearing and what you may be required to do in the hearing. They cannot provide advice about what you should do or what the best legal options may be for your particular case. Only an attorney can provide legal advice and this is your best place for information about your specific criminal proceeding. If you cannot afford to hire a private attorney to represent you, a judge will appoint an attorney to represent you, this is most often a public defender.
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.
Prosecutor in Crawford County
In Crawford County, the prosecutor is an attorney representing Crawford County. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent Kansas. 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.
Crawford County Required Court Appearances
In Crawford 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.
Crawford County Criminal Court locations
Criminal proceedings take place in the Crawford County Criminal Courts. A list of the criminal courts are located here.
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.
Jury by Trial Right
The US Constitution (Article 3 along with the 6th Amendment) ensures an accused defendant the right to a jury trial. This applies to crimes that have a $500 fine or a potential sentence of six months in jail (aka Serious Crimes). This right to trial by jury can also be waived by a defendant.
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.
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 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.
Crawford County Criminal Court Locations
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Crawford County District Court – Girard Division
Address: 111 East Forest Street, Girard, KS 66743
Phone: 620-724-6212 Fax: 620-724-4987 -
Crawford County District Court – Pittsburg Division
Address: 602 North Locust, Pittsburg, KS 66762
Phone: 620-231-0380 Fax: 620-231-0316 -
Arma Municipal Court
Address: 701 East Washington, PO Box 829, Arma, KS 66712
Phone: 620-347-4125 Fax: 620-347-4492 -
Cherokee Municipal Court
Address: 210 South Vine, PO Box 201, Cherokee, KS 66724
Phone: 620-457-8413 Fax: 620-457-8418 -
Frontenac Municipal Court
Address: 200 East McKay, PO Box 954, Frontenac, KS 66763
Phone: 620-231-9210 Fax: 620-231-1421 -
Girard Municipal Court
Address: 120 North Ozark Avenue, Girard KS 66743
Phone: 62-724-6219 -
Mulberry Municipal Court
Address: 109 West Alfred Street, Mulberry, KS 66756
Phone: 620-764-3575 -
Pittsburg Municipal Court
Address: 201 North Pine Street, Pittsburg, KS 66762
Phone: 620-231-9880 Fax: 620-230-5554