Cass County Criminal Court handles all criminal cases that are filed in Cass County. See below for more information about criminal cases in Cass County.
Required Court Appearances in Cass County
Any required court appearances in Cass 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.
Cass County Criminal Court locations
Criminal proceedings take place in the Cass County Criminal Courts. A list of the criminal courts are located here.
Cass County 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.
Jury Deliberations in Cass County
In Cass 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.
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.
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.
Cass County Arraignments
An arraignment is a court hearing. In Cass County this is the first thing that will happen in a criminal case. The defendant will be brought before a judge in Cass 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 Cass 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.
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.
Where can I get help for my Cass 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 Cass 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.
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.
Prosecutor in Cass County
In Cass County, the prosecutor is an attorney representing Cass County. In some cases, the prosecutor may actually represent Missouri. For the most part, the prosecutor in Cass County has discretion to both decide whether to file charges and also negotiate a potential plea deal with the defendant.
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 Cass 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.
Cass County Criminal Court Locations
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Cass County Circuit Court
Address: 2501 West Mechanic Street, Harrisonville, MO 64701
Phone: 816-380-8227 Fax: 816-380-8225 -
Belton Municipal Court
Address: 7001 East 163rd Street, Belton, MO 64012
Phone: 816-331-2798 Fax: 816-348-4439 -
Cleveland Municipal Court
Address: 209 West Main Street, Cleveland, MO 64734
Phone: 816-618-3412 -
Creighton Municipal Court
Address: 104 East 2nd Street, Creighton, MO 64739
Phone: 816-499-2345 Fax: 816-499-2613 -
Drexel Municipal Court
Address: 137 East Main Street, Drexel, MO 64742
Phone: 816-619-2323 -
Garden City Municipal Court
Address: 107 North 3rd Street, PO Box 20, Garden City, MO 64747
Phone: 816-862-8208 Fax: 816-862-8253 -
Harrisonville Municipal Court
Address: 300 East Pearl Street, Harrisonville, MO 64701
Phone: 816-380-8903 Fax: 816-380-8910 -
Lake Winnebago Municipal Court
Address: 10 North Winnebago Drive, Lake Winnebago, MO 64034
Phone: 816-537-4140 Fax: 816-537-6778 -
Peculiar Municipal Court
Address: 220 North Main Street, Peculiar, MO 64012
Phone: 816-779-5104 Fax: 816-779-5105 -
Pleasant Hill Municipal Court
Address: 203 Paul Street, Pleasant Hill, MO 64080
Phone: 816-540-3135 -
Raymore Municipal Court
Address: 100 Municipal Circle, Raymore, MO 64083
Phone: 816-331-1712 Fax: 816-331-0634 -
Strasburg Municipal Court
Address: 410 West State Route 58, Strasburg, MO 64090
Phone: 816-865-3424