LaSalle Parish Criminal Court handles all criminal cases that are filed in LaSalle Parish. See below for more information about criminal cases in LaSalle Parish.
LaSalle Parish Required Court Appearances
In LaSalle Parish, 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.
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.
LaSalle Parish Criminal Court
LaSalle Parish Criminal Court hearings
Criminal hearings in LaSalle Parish will take place at the LaSalle Parish Criminal Courts. Please see here for a list of the LaSalle Parish Criminal Court Locations.
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 LaSalle Parish a public defender will be appointed by the judge if you cannot afford private representation.
Where can I get help for my LaSalle Parish 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 LaSalle Parish 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.
Sentencing in LaSalle Parish
In LaSalle Parish 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 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.
Jury Deliberations in LaSalle Parish
In LaSalle Parish, 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.
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.
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 LaSalle Parish
In LaSalle Parish, the prosecutor is an attorney representing LaSalle Parish. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent Louisiana. For the most part, the prosecutor in LaSalle Parish has discretion to both decide whether to file charges and also negotiate a potential plea deal with the defendant.
What happens in LaSalle Parish at an arraignment?
In LaSalle Parish the defendant is brought into court and informed by the judge of the charges that have been filed against them along with informing them of their rights. At this time, the defendant can plead guilty, not guilty or no contest. If the defendant pleads guilty or no contest, there will be no trial and the defendant may be sentenced immediately or at a later date. If the defendant pleads not guilty a trial date is set.
LaSalle Parish Criminal Court Locations
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LaSalle 28th Judicial District Court
Address: 1050 Courthouse Street, PO Box 1316, Jena LA 71342
Phone: 318-992-2158 Fax: 318-992-2157 -
Justice of the Peace District 1
Address: 1004 Hwy 3071, Olla LA 71465
Phone: 318-992-8901 -
Justice of the Peace District 2
Address: PO Box 196, Olla LA 71465
Phone: 318-495-5041 -
Justice of the Peace District 3
Address: 200 Lakeview Loop, Jena LA 71342
Phone: 318-992-8797 -
Justice of the Peace District 4
Address: 1205 Steen Loop, PO Box 1415, Jena LA 71342
Phone: 318-992-2202 -
Justice of the Peace District 5
Address: 494 Hwy 460, Jena LA 71342
Phone: 318-992-5817 -
Jena Mayor’s Court
Address: 2908 East Oak Street, PO Box 26, Jena LA 71342
Phone: 318-992-2148 Fax: 318-992-8127 -
Olla Mayor’s Court
Address: 1907 Louisiana Street, PO Box 223, Olla LA 71465
Phone: 318-495-5151 Fax: 318-495-5152 -
Tullos Mayor’s Court
Address: 9887 South Main Street, PO Box 749, Tullos LA 71479
Phone: 318-534-6499 Fax: 318-534-6500 -
Urania Mayor’s Court
Address: 2021 East Hardtner Drive, PO Box 339, Urania LA 71480
Phone: 318-495-3452 Fax: 318-495-3425