Pointe Coupee Parish Criminal Court hears all criminal cases in Pointe Coupee Parish. Below you will find specific information about criminal cases and how they are handled in Pointe Coupee Parish.
Pointe Coupee Parish Criminal Court locations
Criminal proceedings take place in the Pointe Coupee Parish Criminal Courts. A list of the criminal courts are located here.
Who can help me in Pointe Coupee Parish?
For general information about your case the Pointe Coupee Parish 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.
Pointe Coupee Parish Criminal Court
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.
Mandatory Appearances in Pointe Coupee Parish Criminal Court
At a mandatory or required court appearance in Pointe Coupee Parish, the defendant must appear before the court. In the event of a “Failure to Appear” the judge may issue a warrant for the arrest of the defendant. Note: not all criminal hearings are mandatory, in a non-mandatory hearing an attorney may appear on your behalf without you being in court.
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.
Prosecutor in Pointe Coupee Parish
In Pointe Coupee Parish, the prosecutor is an attorney representing Pointe Coupee Parish. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent Louisiana. For the most part, the prosecutor in Pointe Coupee Parish has discretion to both decide whether to file charges and also negotiate a potential plea deal with the defendant.
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.
Sentencing in Pointe Coupee Parish
In Pointe Coupee 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.
Pointe Coupee Parish Arraignments
An arraignment is a court hearing. In Pointe Coupee Parish this is the first thing that will happen in a criminal case. The defendant will be brought before a judge in Pointe Coupee Parish 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 Pointe Coupee Parish 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.
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.
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.
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.
Pointe Coupee Parish Criminal Court Locations
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Pointe Coupee 18th Judicial District Court
Address: 201 East Main Street, PO Box 38, New Roads LA 70760
Phone: 225-638-9596 Fax: 225-638-9590 -
Justice of the Peace District 1
Address: 20236 LA Hwy 417, Lettsworth LA 70753
Phone: 225-718-3893 -
Justice of the Peace District 2
Address: PO Box 9, Batchelor LA 70715
Phone: 225-492-2020 or 225-718-1970 -
Justice of the Peace District 3
Address: 8257 Hwy 1, Morganza LA 70759
Phone: 225-694-2414 -
Justice of the Peace District 4
Address: 5278 Noah’s Lane, Jarreau LA 70749
Phone: 225-718-4567 -
Justice of the Peace District 5
Address: 339 Napoleon Street, New Roads LA 70760
Phone: 225-638-3300 or 225-718-9989 -
Justice of the Peace District 6
Address: 3101 Oakland Rd, Lakeland LA 70752
Phone: 225-627-5414 or 225-718-2024 -
Justice of the Peace District 7
Address: 8677 St. Joseph Street, New Roads LA 70760
Phone: 225-618-0221 -
Justice of the Peace District 8
Address: 209 East 5th Street, New Roads LA 70760
Phone: 225-638-7023 or 225-718-3695 -
Justice of the Peace District 9
Address: PO Box 66, Ventress LA 70783
Phone: 225-638-4892 or 225-278-8856 -
Justice of the Peace District 10
Address: PO Box 937, Livonia LA 70755
Phone: 225-718-4659 -
Justice of the Peace District 11
Address: PO Box 173, Lottie LA 70756
Phone: 225-572-4913 -
Justice of the Peace District 12
Address: PO Box 41, New Roads LA 70760
Phone: 225-638-3155 or 225-718-5534 -
Fordoche Mayor’s Court
Address: 5390 Fordoche Road, PO Box 10, Fordoche LA 70732
Phone: 225-637-3112 Fax: 225-637-2899 -
Livonia Mayor’s Court
Address: 3111 LA Hwy 78, PO Box 307, Livonia LA 70755
Phone: 225-637-2981 Fax: 225-637-3189 -
Morganza Mayor’s Court
Address: 112 LA Hwy 3050, PO Box 66, Morganza LA 70759
Phone: 225-694-3655 Fax: 225-694-2472 -
New Roads Mayor’s Court
Address: 211 West Main Street, PO Box 280, New Roads LA 70760
Phone: 225-638-5360 Fax: 225-638-5368