Perry County Criminal Court

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

Required Court Appearances in Perry County

Any required court appearances in Perry 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.

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.

Perry County Criminal Court

Perry County Criminal Court

Where can I get help for my Perry 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 Perry 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.

Perry County Criminal Court hearings

Criminal hearings in Perry County will take place at the Perry County Criminal Courts. Please see here for a list of the Perry County Criminal Court Locations.

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.

Jury Deliberation

In a jury trial in Perry 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.

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.

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.

Perry County Arraignments

An arraignment is a court hearing. In Perry County this is the first thing that will happen in a criminal case. The defendant will be brought before a judge in Perry County 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 Perry County 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.

Perry County Prosecutor

For criminal cases in Perry County, the prosecutor will be a representative of Perry County. The Perry County prosecutor reviews all evidence and ultimately decides whether to file or dismiss charges in the case. Most of the time, the prosecutor has leeway in plea negotiations and determines how the case will be prosecuted.

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.

Can I request a Plea Agreement?

In Perry 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.

Perry County Criminal Court Locations

  • Perry County Circuit Court

    Address: 103 S Main St, PO Box 198, New Augusta MS 39642
    Phone: 601-964-8663 Fax: 601-964-8740

  • Perry County Chancery Court

    Address: 103 S Main St, PO Box 198, New Augusta MS 39462
    Phone: 601-964-8398 Fax: 601-964-8265

  • Perry County Youth Court

    Address: 103 S Main St, PO Box 198, New Augusta MS 39462
    Phone: 601-964-8398 Fax: 601-964-8746

  • Perry County Justice Court

    Address: PO Box 455, New Augusta MS 39462
    Phone: 601-964-8366 Fax: 601-964-8368

  • Beaumont Municipal Court

    Address: 1510 Beaumont Brooklyn Rd, PO Box 605, Beaumont MS 39423
    Phone: 601-784-3352 Fax: 601-784-3352

  • New Augusta Municipal Court

    Address: PO Box 401, New Augusta MS 39462
    Phone: 601-964-8101 Fax: 601-964-3719

  • Richton Municipal Court

    Address: PO Box 471, Richton MS 39476
    Phone: 601-788-5575 Fax: 601-788-5575

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