Bourbon County Criminal Court

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

Required Court Appearances in Bourbon County

Any required court appearances in Bourbon 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.

Sentencing in Bourbon County

In Bourbon 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.

Bourbon County Criminal Court

Bourbon County Criminal Court

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.

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.

Arraignments in Bourbon County

During an arraignment in Bourbon 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 Bourbon 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 Bourbon County the defendant may be sentenced at that time or the sentencing may take place at a later date.

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.

Jury Deliberation

In a jury trial in Bourbon 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.

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.

Where will Bourbon County criminal case hearings take place?

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

Prosecutor in Bourbon County

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

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.

Where can I get help for my Bourbon 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 Bourbon 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.

Bourbon County Criminal Court Locations

  • Bourbon County Circuit Court

    Address: 310 Main Street, Paris, KY 40361
    Phone: 859-987-2624 Fax: 859-987-6049

  • Bourbon County District Court

    Address: 310 Main Street, PO Box 740, Paris, KY 40362
    Phone: 859-987-2624 Fax: 859-987-6049

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