Adams County Criminal Court

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

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.

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 Adams County a public defender will be appointed by the judge if you cannot afford private representation.

Adams County Criminal Court

Adams County Criminal Court

Mandatory Appearances in Adams County Criminal Court

At a mandatory or required court appearance in Adams County, 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.

Jury Deliberations in Adams County

In Adams County, 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.

Defendant Sentencing

At a sentence hearing the judge will inform the defendant of the sentence that will be imposed. This sometimes occurs at the same hearing in which the defendant is found guilty (either by trial or plea agreement). In can also occur at a later date, most often this is due to the complexity of the case where more time is needed to determine the appropriate sentence.

Adams County Criminal Court locations

Criminal proceedings take place in the Adams County Criminal Courts. A list of the criminal courts are located here.

Appealing a guilty verdict

A defendant may appeal a guilty verdict to an appellate court. This is not a request to have another trial, but a request for an appellate court to review the case and determine that it was handled in a correct legal manner. There are a number of outcomes in an appeal including an upholding of the conviction, a finding that errors were made resulting in a retrial or resentencing or possibly a complete disimissal of all 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.

Can I request a Plea Agreement?

In Adams County 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.

Where can I get help for my Adams 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 Adams 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.

Arraignments in Adams County

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

Prosecutor in Adams County

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

Adams County Criminal Court Locations

  • Adams County Circuit Court

    Address: 115 S Wall St, PO Box 1224, Natchez MS 39121
    Phone: 601-446-6326 Fax: 601-445-7955

  • Adams County Chancery Court

    Address: 115 S Wall St, PO Box 1006, Natchez MS 39121
    Phone: 601-446-6684 Fax: 601-445-7913

  • County Court of Adams County

    Address: 115 S Wall St, PO Box 1224, Natchez MS 39121
    Phone: 601-446-6326 Fax: 601-445-7955

  • Adams County Youth Court

    Address: 320 State St, Natchez MS 39120
    Phone: 601-442-6416 Fax: 601-445-7913

  • Adams County Justice Court

    Address: 114 S Wall St, PO Box 1048, Natchez MS 39121
    Phone: 601-442-0199 Fax: 601-445-7902

  • Natchez Municipal Court

    Address: 233 Devereaux Dr, Natchez MS 39120
    Phone: 601-445-7524 Fax: 601-442-3487

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