St. James Parish Criminal Court hears all criminal cases in St. James Parish. Below you will find specific information about criminal cases and how they are handled in St. James Parish.
Mandatory Appearances in St. James Parish Criminal Court
At a mandatory or required court appearance in St. James 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.
St. James Parish Criminal Court hearings
Criminal hearings in St. James Parish will take place at the St. James Parish Criminal Courts. Please see here for a list of the St. James Parish Criminal Court Locations.
St. James Parish Criminal Court
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.
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.
The Right to Counsel
The Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the U.s. Constitution give defendants in criminal cases the right to counsel/attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed to represent you. Like other rights a defendant has, this one can be waived as well and alternatively you can choose to represent yourself.
Arraignments in St. James Parish
During an arraignment in St. James Parish, 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 St. James Parish, 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 St. James Parish the defendant may be sentenced at that time or the sentencing may take place at a later date.
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 Deliberations in St. James Parish
In St. James 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.
Can I request a Plea Agreement?
In St. James Parish you may be able to enter into a plea agreement depending upon the severity of the charges. It is also dependant upon the prosecution willing to accept a plea agreement. You can ask your attorney to attempt to negotiate a plea agreement with the prosecution to avoid having a jury trial along with the potential for a more serious sentence. Approximately 9 out of 10 criminal cases usually end in a plea agreement.
Prosecutor in St. James Parish
In St. James Parish, the prosecutor is an attorney representing St. James Parish. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent Louisiana. For the most part, the prosecutor in St. James Parish has discretion to both decide whether to file charges and also negotiate a potential plea deal with the defendant.
If guilty, who sentences the defendant?
If the defendant is found guilty after the trial, the defendent will be sentenced. In some cases, this can occur at the same hearing the defendant is found guilty in court, in other cases a separate hearing will be required. Often the prosecution will request a particular sentence for the defendant and the judge will determine whether to enforce this sentence or impose a different sentence for the defendant.
Who can help me in St. James Parish?
For general information about your case the St. James 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.
St. James Parish Criminal Court Locations
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St. James 23rd Judicial District Court
Address: 5800 LA Hwy 44, PO Box 63, Convent LA 70723
Phone: 225-562-2270 Fax: 225-562-2383 -
Justice of the Peace District 1
Address: 277 North Magnolia Avenue, Gramercy LA 70052
Phone: 225-610-3169 or 225-869-8742 -
Justice of the Peace District 2
Address: 12087 Dey Say Street, Lutcher LA 70071
Phone: 225-206-4554 -
Justice of the Peace District 3
Address: 3405 S Angell Street, PO Box 272, Paulina LA 70763
Phone: 225-806-1287 -
Justice of the Peace District 4
Address: 3506 Hwy 44, Paulina LA 70763
Phone: 225-869-3752 -
Justice of the Peace District 5
Address: 8249 Hwy 18, St. James LA 70086
Phone: 225-473-9569 -
Justice of the Peace District 6
Address: 2320 Perkins Street, PO Box 95, Vacherie LA 70090
Phone: 225-614-2357 -
Justice of the Peace District 7
Address: 13542 Hwy 643, Vacherie LA 70090
Phone: 225-265-2921 -
Gramercy Mayor’s Court
Address: 120 North Montz Avenue, PO Box 340, Gramercy LA 70052
Phone: 225-869-4403 Fax: 225-869-4195 -
Lutcher Mayor’s Court
Address: 2500 Louisiana Avenue, PO Box 456, Lutcher LA 70071
Phone: 225-869-5823 Fax: 225-869-9628