Stone County Criminal Court

Stone County Criminal Court hears all criminal cases in Stone County. Below you will find specific information about criminal cases and how they are handled in Stone County.

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.

Required Court Appearances in Stone County

Any required court appearances in Stone 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.

Stone County Criminal Court

Stone County Criminal Court

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.

Where can I get help for my Stone 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 Stone 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.

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.

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.

Jury Deliberation

In a jury trial in Stone 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.

Prosecutor in Stone County

In Stone County, the prosecutor is an attorney representing Stone County. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent Mississippi. For the most part, the prosecutor in Stone County 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.

What happens in Stone County at an arraignment?

In Stone County 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.

Stone County Criminal Court locations

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

Plea Agreements

A Plea Agreement, sometimes known as a Plea Bargain is an agreement between the prosecution and the defendant, where the defendant pleads guilty or no contest often in exchange for a lesser charge or lighter recommended sentence. A large majority of criminal cases end in a plea agreement. In Stone County you can inform your attorney to negotiate with the prosecution to attempt to come to a plea agreement, but this is dependent upon the charge severity and also the prosecutors willingness to accept a plea deal.

Stone County Criminal Court Locations

  • Stone County Circuit Court

    Address: 323 E Cavers Ave, Wiggins MS 39577
    Phone: 601-928-5246 Fax: 601-928-5248

  • Stone County Chancery Court

    Address: 323 E Cavers Ave, PO Drawer 7, Wiggins MS 39577
    Phone: 601-928-5266 Fax: 601-928-6464

  • Stone County Youth Court

    Address: 323 E Cavers Ave, PO Drawer 7, Wiggins MS 39577
    Phone: 601-928-5266 Fax: 601-928-6464

  • Stone County Justice Court

    Address: 231 3rd St S, Wiggins MS 39577
    Phone: 601-928-4415 Fax: 601-928-2114

  • Wiggins Municipal Court

    Address: 303 S 1st St, Wiggins MS 39577
    Phone: 601-928-5443 Fax: 601-928-5187

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